Qin Rong stared blankly at the child, noticeably surprised by the request. Considering it was a child before him, he was expecting something more fantastical but when faced with such a humble wish, it made him feel a bit guilty for intending to just bail after being asked.

The boy, seeing Qin Rong frown, started to tremble, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Is… is that too much to ask?” He mumbled, his eyes getting more wet. Upon further inspection, Qin Rong saw that they were bright gold, an interesting color.

“No, but…” Qin Rong scratched his head, unsure how to proceed. He’d never been in a situation like this. “Is that really all you want?”

“Un.” The boy nodded, a glimmer of determination in his eyes. “I’ve never had a friend so…”

God, that was just sad. Qin Rong was alone by choice so he couldn’t imagine how lonely someone who wanted company could feel. Seeing this kid stare up at him, his only wish from what he assumed was an all powerful fairy being companionship.

What kind of monster would say no?

“Fine” He sighed, looking away. “I guess it’s better than just wandering about all day.” He really was tired. All day those two weirdos from before had been trying to catch him. He obviously got away but instinct told him not to head to town for a little while.

Much more, and he’d be nabbed by a pretty boy and his manservant.

“R-really?!” The young man jumped with joy, taking hold of his hand. His black as night eyes glimmered brightly as he beamed. “Thank you, Miss Faerie”

Qin Rong felt his eye twitch.

“Oi, who are you calling miss?!” He snapped, scowling. The boy blinked back at him, clearly confused.

“Eh? Is Miss Faerie mad?” The child frowned, looking near tears again. Qin Rong felt a sting of guilt for causing him to cry but his manly pride couldn’t let this go. “Did I say something wrong?”

“You called me miss.” He replied, crossing his arms. Qin Rong had panicked when he saw his face for the first time, thinking he might have become a girl somehow. To be mistaken by someone else was a bit... “I’m a boy.” He clarified, confidently presenting himself.

As expected, the boy looked both shocked and doubtful. Did he think he was lying?

“But Miss faerie is so pretty.” He mumbled, looking Qin Rong over. He knew what the boy saw. A pretty face with delicate features. Even though kids were generally cute, Qin Rong was exceptionally pretty, to the point where even he had doubts despite having checked before.

“I know that already but I’m a boy!” He pointed out, his scowl deepening as he grew frustrated. Thinking back to his previous life, how he wished he could be as attractive as drama stars, drawing so many eyes. His dream of being admired by hordes of beauties. Yet having been born into the body of a pretty person, he finally saw how annoying it was.

Gods, just let him be average again!

The boy looked doubtful but nodded, helping Qin Rong from the trap. As soon as he stepped from the water, Qin Rong Shivered, unconsciously clenching his hand. The boy looked up at him with a smile.

Neither of them said a word, gold eyes staring into black ones. Qin Rong considered his options, whether to allow this kid to hold his hand much longer. Generally, he disliked such casual skinship.

As if sensing his intention, the boy slipped his fingers into Qin Rong’s, his dark eyes pleading ‘Is this fine?’ The hardened mercenary who had killed and maimed thousands since he was a child felt his heart soften just the slightest bit and let out a frustrated groan.

“Fine, lets just go.” He grumbled, ignoring the sunshine that bloomed on the kids face.

***

“This is my home!” The boy proclaimed, dragging Qin Rong into the manor. As soon as they arrived, Qin Rong was shown a tour or the two story house. As expected, it was fully furnished and large yet…

“Is it just you living here?” He asked, frowning as he noted how quiet everything was. He hadn’t spotted or heard a single servant in the house since arriving. From the way the boy dressed and size of the house, he figured the kid must be rich or something. Yet the house was quiet.

“I-” The boy started, frowning a bit but stopped when they heard the front door slam open. They both flinched.

“Young Master?” A matronly voice called out, the sound of heavy items hitting the ground followed. Had she been shopping? That would explain the empty house but was she the only one? Qin Rong’s analysis was put to an end when the boy started shoving him.

“H-hide!” He whispered hurriedly as the voice started up the stairs.

“What?!”

“Please, hide! I’m not allowed to let anyone know I’m here so you must hide.” He explained, shoving Qin Rong into a closet and shutting the door. “Sorry.”

Darkness surrounded him. He sighed, letting himself relax as he listened to what was happening outside.

“Young Master?” The woman called out, her voice a bit faint. The door to the room slammed open and the footsteps stopped. “Oh, there you are, young master. Did you not hear me calling you?” She snapped, sounding annoyed.

“Sorry.” Silence fell between them for a minute. Qin Rong had suspected the two had left before the woman spoke up again.

“Were… were you talking to someone just now?” She asked, her footsteps drawing closer.

“No!” The boy replied, a bit too quickly for Qin Rong’s comfort. He was obviously lying in that kid way. Again, the older man sighed, promising himself to teach this kid how to properly lie. This was a shameful display

Surprisingly though, the servant believed him.

“...As long as you understand the risks.” She sighed, moving away from the door. Qin Rong was shocked she bought such a blatant lie but chose not to voice his objections. Being caught in a rich kid's house and being arrested was not how he wanted to end his day.

“I do.” He heard the boy muttered quietly. He must not have moved from the closet door yet. The servant continued.

“Anyway, we’ll be leaving this weeks meals in the Pantry so be sure to eat it properly.” She informed him casually, surprising the person in the closet. Yet she continued on. “Young master is a mature young man, so you don't need us to tell you to eat.”

“Yes.” The response was level and cool, sounding nothing like the excited child who stumbled over his words and feet getting him here. It was a bit disconcerting to hear a child speak like that, like drone.

“And the house looks to have been left dirty since our last visit. Did you forget to clean it up?” A brief moment of silence followed, which meant the boys response was nonverbal. “I see. Does Young master need us to clean up after him like a child?” She pushed, stepping closer again.

“No, I’ll take care of it.” Again, his responses were so cold and conditioned, it made Qin Rong want to jump out and shake the sense back into the kid. Worse yet, the servant lady hummed with joy, as if praising a dog.

“Good, then I shall be going now.” Her footsteps retreated, echoing through the empty house and ending with a slammed door. Silence fell, leaving the two young boys alone with only the wind to keep them company.

The boy had been staring at the ground when the closet door slammed open. The faerie, still as pretty as before, looked furious. He couldn’t help but stare.

“What the heck was that?” Qin Rong snapped, just barely keeping himself from cursing. It was only the fact that this kid was a child that kept him from using his much more expansive vocabulary to voice his feelings.

“Miss Faerie, I-”

“Qin. Rong!” He interrupted, stomping over. The boy stepped back until his back hit the wall. Gold eyes blazed as Qin Rong stared him down.

“Q-Qin?” He echoed, the sound completely foreign to the boy.

“Qin Rong, thats my name.” He explained, slapping his chest. It was tired of being called miss. It was already bad enough to be mistaken for a girl but to be called it so often. Just how much could a man take?! “Say it properly.”

“Yes!” Ever obedient, the boy nodded. “Q-Qin Rong.”

As he spoke this name, the boy felt very happy. This faerie trusted him enough to give his name. Names had power and the boy could already feel the threads of magic binding them together. It was faint but twinkling of energy flowing between them was clear as day.

Qin Rong, completely unaware of magic and its rules, had unintentionally bound them together in a bond. An exchange of names, true names, was something sacred and arcane. Had he known what he’d done, he might have thought better than to give the name belonging to his soul.

But that would be for a later date.

The boy wanted to give his name, to reciprocate the trust granted to him by this noble and beautiful creature but was interrupted before he could say anymore.

“Good.” Qin Rong nodded, happy this child was obedient. He wasn’t sure what he’d do otherwise. “Now answer my question.”

The boy blinked, trying to recall what was asked. He really just wanted to exchange names first but he felt Qin Rong was the impatient type.

(AN: He totally is)

“You mean about Ms Pellelot?” He answered, eager to please. “She's the lady in charge of the house.”

What part of her is taking care of the house? He thought, with a grimace. Her after image? He thought about how brief her visit had been and wanted to slap her. How dare she leave a child alone like that.

“Really?” He echoed, folding his arms as he gave the boy a disbelieving stare. “Cause I’ve been here everyday for about a week now and haven’t seen her once.”

Initially, Qin Rong hadn’t thought about the lack of servants since he was only there to steal food but looking back, he felt stupid for not noticing. The garden, while lovely, was clearly in need of tending and the grass was overgrown.

Perhaps he could weed the garden one of these days so that it wasn’t as depressing a sight. It would be a shame to let such a nice looking garden fall to ruin.

While thinking this, the boy preened under the attention he was being given. He couldn’t recall the last time someone spoke to him this long. Better still, he had been approached first!

There had been many times he’d tried to initiate a conversation with the servants only to be ignored or dismissed. He’d always just thought they were too busy but it still left him feeling alone despite a manor full of people.

Then all suddenly left all at once.

“She only comes by once a week.” He countered, feeling the need to defend the older lady. She wasn’t very nice but as a noble, it was his duty to defend the virtue of a lady.

Qin Rong, was quite the opposite. In the modern day, women were treated as equal to men so, like a man, he would hold nothing back.

Especially not a woman who so willfully abandoned a child like trash.

“… So you, a little kid, is all alone for days on end?” The boy puffed up defensively at the statement, looking Qin Rong straight in the eye.

“I’m a big kid, so I don’t need servants to hold my hand.” He proclaimed, cheeks puffed up as he presented himself to Qin Rong. He was very proud of himself.

Qin Rong cocked a brow, his eyes drifting to the messy state of the child's clothes. His shirt was unpressed, his pants legs uneven and his shoes untied. He looked every part a child who dressed themselves.

“I’m guessing that's what that lady told you.” He concluded, looking doubtful. Upon closer inspection, he noticed how unkempt the child was. He’d done a fairly good job taking care of himself but Qin Rong could tell he wasn't the best at it. “That you have to take care of yourself?”

Qin Rong had lived most of his life caring for himself, since those deemed to be his parents didn't bother to. He didn't want this kid to face the same fate.

The boy, not wanting to lie, said nothing, which was just as good as a nod.

“Figures.” He snorted, scratching his head. Truly, the adults in this world disgust him. “I bet she still collects checks while she lounges about doing nothing.”

“Checks?” The boy echoed, confused by the new word. He wanted to ask more but was cut off by Qin Rong.

“What does she do for you?” Qin Rong honestly wanted to know if she was truly worth keeping around. If she was just going to stop by once a week for five minute, tops, there was no point in her showing up at all.

Even the most self centered, minimum wage earner put more effort in their job than this chick. They at least made the effort to look like they were working.

“She drops off food every week.” He declared, looking proud to have kept his chin up during this interrogation.

Qin Rong however, stood by, waiting for the rest of the list. When he was only met with silence, his scowl deepened.

“And that's it?” He cried, shocked that the five minutes she spent in the house was her sole contribution to this child's well being. Heck, she only stayed longer because she thought someone else was there. Who knows how long she usually stayed? “She doesn’t cook or clean?”

“I can do all that!” The boy insisted, huffing as he crossed his arms. “I made cookies once.”

“Cookies?” He thought back to the other day when he spotted a plate of… he wasn’t sure what they were. He could smell that it was burnt so he steered clear of it while munching on his (totally not stolen) toast. He hadn’t thought about it until just then. “You mean those black things I found the other day?”

“Yes.” He looked away, his face a bit red. To have his creation, a humble plate of cookies called ‘black things’ was bit hurtful, though he knew it was true. “ I… left them in the oven a bit longer than I was supposed to and-”

“Never mind all that.” He waved him off, not caring anymore about that. He hadn't expected a child to be capable of baking well on his first try. Who would? “I can teach you how to cook properly later.” He tossed out, not thinking about how many future plans he was making despite his plan of leaving later. He wasn’t really thinking just then, just speaking his mind. “I have more issue with a child being left alone.”

The boy was excited, curious as to what this faerie would teach him. Yet his last sentence brought him back to the present.

“I’m not alone!” The child insisted, pouting cutely. Qin Rong just barely resisted the urge to pinch those chubby cheeks.

“Having a maid show up once a week isn’t company.” He countered, turning away so he could rid himself of these weird feelings bubbling within him. “Especially if She’s not even here long enough to wipe her feet.”

“But I’m not alone! I have Nick with me.” He stomped a foot, staring at the ground. From under his breath, he muttered. “And you too.”

Luckily for him, Qin Rong was too far to hear his words.

“Who’s Nik?” Was there more people in this place! Why hadn’t he noticed?

“My brother?” The words were soft and light, casually put out into the world with little care. But Qin Rong felt the world shift. Cause he could have sworn the house was empty.

“You have a brother?!” Qin Rong cried, wanting to scream. He prided himself on his skills so learning he had somehow missed someone was damaging to his ego. The child was unaware of this and continued on as if Qin Rong wasn’t inwardly chastising himself.

“Yeah, he’s upstairs.” He nodded, pointing up the stairs. “Do you want to meet him?” The child looked up at the slightly taller Qin Rong, eager to introduce him to Nik.

In this house, it was just the two of them, so after having met and made friends with a fae, the boy was longing to have them get to know each other.

Qin Rong, however, was not that keen on meeting anymore children. Just dealing with one was giving him a headache. Sure, the kid was cute but Qin Rong wasn’t the children kind of guy. He could barely deal with most adults, so why would he put himself through the horror of not one but two children?

Yet he had no chance to refuse, for the black haired child grabbed him by the hand and excitedly dragged him up the stairs, telling him all about how much he’d love Nik cause he was cute and obedient and the list went on. Black lines flashed across his face as he listened.

Again with the hand holding!

***

Upon arrival, Qin Rong was surprised to see another black haired child. Two for two, it would seem. The child was lying in bed, the large mattress almost swallowing the child whole. He looked comfortable and content, the soft snores filling the empty room.

Damn it. Qin Rong thought, sitting on the edge of the soft bed. He was cute!

The mercenary covered his face in shame, wanting to die. Why? Since when was he this weak to cute things? He usually felt little to nothing for children, generally more concerned with the present mission at hand than any of the people around. Yet less than a day into being around these two, he truly felt the desire to pinch those pudgy cheeks.

He looked between his fingers, watching the elder boy crawl up onto the bed to check his brothers temperature. It was a practiced move, one he’d clearly done many times.

“Ah, you’re fever went down a little.” He sighed, smiling sweetly. “So sleep well.”

This caught his attention.

Reaching over, he rested a hand on Nik’s head, curious. He was really warm.

“His temperature went down?”

"En, he was sweating before but now he isn’t."

That… that wasn’t really good but Qin Rong wasn’t a doctor so he couldn’t be sure. Looking him over, Nik didn’t seem to be uncomfortable so perhaps he was overthinking it.

The boy watched Qin Rong look over Nik, happy to see his two favorite people getting along. Sure, Nik was still asleep but Qin Rong seemed to like him. He was sure his little brother would feel the same.

I’d like that. He thought, yawning.

“You tired?” Qin Rong looked up, cocking a brow. He nodded, rubbing his eyes. “Go to sleep then.”

In unison, they both fell back on the bed, reveling in the softness. Their simultaneous sighs echoed through the room. They stared up at the ceiling for a moment, letting the soft snores from Nik fill the air. Just as Qin Rong was thinking the boy had fallen asleep, he spoke.

“You won’t leave, right?”

“Didn’t I say I’d grant your wish?” He countered, frowning at the boy. Did he think he was a liar? “What kind of man do you think I am?”

“But you’re not a man.” He pointed out sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. Qin Rong wanted to argue the point but the boy continued. “You’re a faerie.”

The mercenary, his heart hardened by all he’d done, chuckled. Right, that's what he was. A magical creature who had granted this small child a wish. Amused, he reached out to pet the child, running a hand through his soft hair.

“That's right.” He said, lying back on the bed. With little Nik between them, it felt a little like a sleep over. Qin Rong had never had such a thing, since his home life never allowed for such indulgences, so he was liking the feeling. “And we faerie’s never go back on our word.”

“Promise?” The boy’s eyes were heavy and he was quickly losing the fight to sleep yet remained determined to get this answer from the fae. Qin Rong couldn’t help but sigh at the sight.

Boy, this kid was so fussy, constantly asking him this. Was he not trustworthy? Sure. he lied and cheated as a lifestyle but this was a new him. Surely, the boy couldn’t sense that… could he?

He wanted to be sincere so he reached over to take the boys hand. His eyes widened, shocked that the fae had taken his hand.

“I, Qin Rong, promise you that I won’t leave you.” He whispered, squeezing the boys hand. While he wasn’t sure what the future would hold but he, at the very least, wanted this child to feel content to close his eyes. To assure him he’d be there when the sun rose.

The boy, hearing his vow, felt tears well up in his eyes. He’d so wanted someone to say those words for so long, he’d forgotten how to present himself properly. So he openly cried.

“Oi oi, don’t cry, it's nor manly.” Qin Rong gently chastised, reaching over to wipe the tears away. Really, he hadn’t meant to make him cry and yet here he was, doing just that.

This was why he was no good with kids.

“Sorry, I’m just happy.” He sniffled, pressing his cheek to their joined hands. It was so warm. “I should share with you too, since you are nice enough to trust me.” He said, tightening his fingers around Qin Rong’s. His bed mate had no clue what he was talking about. Was he referring to him spending the night?

“I’ll give you my name, Qin Rong.”

It was only then that Qin Rong realized that he hadn’t bothered to learn this child’s name. For some reason, it had not occurred to him to ask. It had not struck him as odd to have spent the day with someone whose name he didn't know.

He couldn’t fathom why this was the case. Yet he felt like nothing was amiss.

Though his soul was human, his body was one familiar with the rules of the world. It knew better than to expect an exchange of names. Such an act was dangerous, one that could leave someone in danger of subjugation. But Qin Rong’s conscious mind was stronger than his body’s instincts, so he gave his name, his souls name, freely and without fear.

“So what is your name?” He asked easily, unaware of how much he was asking for.

“Xanderous Murcielago Chavin” The boy, now known as Xander, answered happily. He closed his eyes, happy to have given his name.

This left Qin Rong reeling from confusion and shock. He felt this might be a constant issue.

Xanderous?! Was that a name?

Well, obviously, it was but that was… not what he expected. What's up with the dramatic and epic name?! Are you an RPG character?

As Qin Rong contemplated this, threads of magic formed a bridge between them. Xanderous felt the threads form and connect the two of them, a bond that can't be broken. To exchange names was an act that illustrated complete trust in one another.

If one had the true name of another, they could have control over that person, easily bending others to their will. It was because of this that no one went by their true name, shortening or even changing their names to keep them safe. No one would risk giving themselves up so willingly. Even married couples were wary.

Hence why children were warned from the time they spoke their first words not to share their true names with anyone, not even their parents.

Yet Xander felt no fear, for the bond built by this was worth it. He never felt closer to someone and finally saw why some people would willingly give their name to another. It was a way to keep Qin Rong by his side, forever.

Even if they both forgot each others names, the exchange was ironclad.