Alto was trying to sleep when a knock came at the door. He tried to ignore it, but the knocks just became more insistent. Soon they stopped, only to return a few minutes later. Instead of gentle knocks, someone was banging on the door, screaming fake emergencies like a fire, and earthquakes.

“Open the fucking door,” yelled Azara. “I know you’re still awake in there!”

“Go away,” yelled Alto. “I can deal with it in the morning!”

“He’s back! You sure you want to wait until then?”

Alto jumped out of his bed, and put on his boxers, knowing who it was before he opened the door. It was Azara standing in her pink fuzzy nightgown.

“Oh, so anything concerning Nero you’re interested in,” asked Azara. “ How interesting .”

“Shut up! I’m just surprised he came back alive .”

“Why would you be,” asked Azara. “Why send out someone who can’t do a job?”

“I didn’t think he could do the job ‘Zara, that was the point. ”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“No one hits me and gets away with it,” said Alto. “You should know that.”

“It’s not about that. I know it. ”

Alto slammed the door in her face and told himself that hitting her would just cause more problems.

“You’re not going to at least see him,” yelled Azara.

“I can’t roam the house in only boxers. I’m getting dressed,” he yelled.

Azara stood patiently outside the door, and when Alto opened it, this time he wore a green shirt and blue shorts.

“Take me to him,” he commanded.

Nero was in one of the numerous guest rooms inside the house. Mr.Mata had brought him some medicine and water to help with his headache, and he was laid up in bed. It was larger than the bed at home, and he lay there, thinking about his options.

Nero thought about how similar Alto and Ahana sounded. That they were cut from the same cloth. He planned to keep Alto as a personal piggy bank, and once his plot was over, he would leave, never having to deal with another Luoh again.

Alto opened the door with so much power, it banged against the wall when it swung open, and Nero spilled his water on his lap in surprise. Alto strode over to the bed and leered down at Nero.

“How the hell are you alive?”

“I did it,” mumbled Nero. “I killed Ahana Hori. I want my sword.”

Alto grinned, and he once again showed his true, monstrous form.

“Perfect. Absolutely perfect,” he said. “Did anybody see?”

Nero shook his head no, and said, “I don’t think so. It's okay.”

Nero rubbed his legs in an attempt to stay warm, but it didn’t work. The sheets were wet, and the shorts didn’t help either. Alto sat down on the bed next to him and Nero felt nervous, worried that he would be furious that he had come back alive.

“I didn’t think you’d come back alive,” said Alto. “I’m disappointed yet pleasantly surprised.”

“Did you want me to die?”

Alto’s grin faltered.

“Well… no… of course not,” he replied. “You just needed to learn how it works around here.”

Nero cried quietly as Alto watched silently, confused as to why it didn’t feel as good as he thought it would.

“You need to stop crying! You’re a man now! You finished a job. Congratulations .”

“I shouldn’t have ever killed Ahana. I should have-”

“It’s too late, stop your bitching.”

“He was so much nicer than you,” wailed Nero. “He told me I was a good person !”

“You’re an idiot. Ahana is paid by Enemy to get their men out of prison quickly, he’s one of the best lawyers around,” Alto replied. “ He doesn’t know what a good person is.”

Nero shuddered and his skin felt gross.

Used.

“I think I feel sick,” he moaned.

Nero climbed off the bed and barely made it to the small trash can in the corner. Whatever medicine was inside him wasn’t working, and whatever water was there to help him was all gone.Nero got up from the ground and stumbled over to the bed, feeling slightly better after throwing up.

“Why didn’t you tell me,” asked Nero. “He was part of the group that hurt me.”

Alto shrugged. “Does it matter? If you died it wouldn’t have mattered, but you didn’t. Now he’s dead and you took care of my problem and yours.”

Nero sobbed into the sheets, and the monster next to him was bored and did not think he would be so angry and sad, confused that he wasn’t happy that he had killed someone that hurt him.

“You need to pull yourself together. You killed two men, and they’re pieces of shit, but one calls you good so you’re feeling bad?"

Slowly the sobs stopped and Nero sat up. He rubbed the snot and tears on his face and coughed.

“No. I just hate that you never told me,” Nero whined.

“If I told you, you would have gotten nervous and fucked up,” said Alto. “Didn’t you want to take down Enemy?”

“Yeah…” Nero rubbed his nose again. “I almost let him sleep with me,” said Nero. “I really wish you told me."

“I’m sorry. I had to.”

He didn’t.

Nero glared at Alto and punched him in the stomach. Alto didn’t even flinch, because he felt nothing.

“I hate you so much,” cried Nero. “You think you’re smart, but you’re not."

“I’m smarter than you! At least I can read .”

Nero punched him again but Alto just blinked.

“ I can read,” screamed Nero. “I just can’t read whatever language they read here! Fuck you!”

Nero punched and hit Alto as much as he wanted until he got tired. Alto sat and watched as Nero took heavy breaths of air. He covered his face with his hands and tried to steady his breathing. He had tired himself out, in a one-man fight.

“You think you’re smart but you’re not,” repeated Nero. “I know why you made me dress like a woman."

Alto grinned. “Didn’t you say it's wrong to assume things about others,” goaded Alto.

Nero removed his hands from his face and stared at Alto for a very long time. Alto didn’t feel like he won anymore. Again he was small and worried that Nero might really be the prince he said he was, a killer like the rest of his family.

“You made me dress like a girl so you wouldn’t feel weird about kissing me,” said Nero. “You’re so pathetic .”

Alto grits his teeth and tried to calm himself.

“If these sheets weren’t white I would tear you in two on this bed,” Alto said.

“ Oh. Are you flirting be-”

“Shut up!”

Nero tried to push him, but he didn’t budge at all.

“You deny me being a man, because if you admit it, then you have to admit that-”

“Shut up,” roared Alto. “Shut up. Shut up. Shut the fuck up. ”

Nero didn’t move at all. Usually, when Alto screamed at him he flinched or tried to move away. But he wasn’t scared.

“I’m not afraid of you anymore,” Nero announced. “How could I be? I've already killed two people.”

Nero moved closer to Alto and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Why should I be afraid of someone too afraid to be themself, who lies that I’m weak just so you can feel better? ”

Alto’s cheeks burned and he froze up, and now he knew that he had lost.

“You’re just like my brother,” said Nero. “Every time you don’t understand stuff you just yell or hit something until it changes.”

“I am not like him,” said Alto. “I don’t sell people."

“You sell drugs and wash money, Alto. You’re one step away.”

Alto was tired of fighting Nero and decided to just agree with whatever came out of his mouth so he could go back to bed.

“Why do you hate me,” asked Nero.

“I don’t hate you...I just... I don’t know. I don’t understand you. I don’t understand how I feel about you. ”

“You can’t hurt me to understand me,” said Nero. “That doesn’t make sense. You can’t hit people like Leofric and think that something will get better."

Alto then understood that he was trying to kill or shoot his way out of another problem, and this time it wasn’t going to work.

“I’m angry that you didn’t tell me what Ahana did,” continued Nero. “But I’m also happy that you let me kill one of the pieces of shit that hurt people like me. Thank you.”

“It was nothing,” replied Alto. “Just a mutual interest is all.”

It was, and Nero knew, but he also knew now was his chance to get a new bank account.

Nero moved so he was now sitting on his knees on the bed, and was now at eye height with Alto.

“I mean it. Just… don’t do anything like that again,” said Nero.”I might not forgive you next time.” Alto felt weird having him look him straight in the eyes, and tensed up.

Nero leaned in and kissed Alto, and his body became rigid. When Nero pulled away, he gave out a sigh of relief.

“Now the last person I would have kissed wouldn’t have been Ahana,” said Nero. “Thank goodness.”

“That's why you did that,” asked Alto. “You’re not interested in me anymore?”

Nero climbed on top of Alto and sat on his lap.

“Do you want me to be interested,” Nero asked. Alto froze up again in surprise.

“What is wrong with you? I almost killed you.”

“You aren’t the first man who has tried to kill me and you won’t be the last,” Nero replied. “It’s part of being born of noble birth, they’re always trying to kill me.”

Alto was starting to understand what some men meant when they said the crazy ones had something about them. He wished the crazy would tone down for a bit longer.

Nero hugged Alto and he stayed there for quite some time, not letting go. Alto didn’t know what to do, so he reluctantly hugged him back. They sat together in silence for some time, until Nero decided to speak.

“I’m going to keep my promises,” said Nero. “Are you going to keep yours?” Alto looked down at him and was confused.

“What promise,” asked Alto.

“You promised to fund my revenge,” huffed Nero. “ I need that sword. ”

“Fine,” said Alto. “I’ll do it. Just get off of me."

“No.”

“This isn’t cute anymore. Get off of me."

“You think I’m cute?”

Alto didn’t say anything and simply let go of Nero, trying to ignore him so that he would leave first.

“I’m going to keep my promises,” Nero repeated. “That I will become stronger than you, and you will want me.”

Alto laughed a little but stopped, trying to avoid another argument.

Nero grabbed his face and kissed him again, tired of arguing and trying to seal his own business deal, just in a different way. Alto was surprised again but this time he decided to go along with it. He told himself that no one would know and soon he would tire of him, their games could only go on for so long.

Whatever plans for sleep Alto had, they quickly went away.