Chapter Text
First of all, Hello. If you think you've seen this acc somewhere here before, yea it was me. I kinda deleted my acc- totally regretted it but finally i created a new acc 😭.
Hope y'all like this fanfic.
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It was a remarkably delightful evening - tranquil, unbothered, and wrapped in the kind of stillness Cale Henituse cherished.
His blanket cocooned him, shielding him from the world’s demands, while the gentle warmth of chocolate milk rested beside him.
Yes, such blissful slackness. Such perfection.
Or so he thought.
To his immense misfortune, Cale - bundled like a caterpillar in his cozy haven - found himself staring at the infuriatingly smug grin of the man before him.
His dear hyung-nim.
Apparently, Alberu Crossman, Emperor of the Roan Empire and self-proclaimed hyung of Cale, had the sheer audacity to barge into Cale’s room without so much as a knock.
Truly, an unforgivable crime.
Cale inhaled deeply, as if drawing patience from thin air, and composed himself with a practiced smile - one that revealed absolutely nothing of his thoughts.
Not his exasperation, not the faint flicker of an idea that perhaps it was time to crown Robbit as Emperor just to avoid such visits.
“My ears might’ve gone numb from all this peace and quiet,” Cale remarked with a polite, glacial tone, “Would you mind repeating that, Your Highness?”
That smile - serene, sharp, and hollow - was enough to send a faint chill down Alberu’s spine. Still, Alberu, being Alberu, merely clapped his hands together with an overly bright expression.
“Of course, my dear dongsaeng,” he began, far too cheerfully. “As Commander of the Allied forces and my sworn brother, you’ll be attending the Eorka Empire’s royal birthday celebration. The Second Prince’s, to be precise.”
He beamed as he stepped forward, casually patting the blanket draped over Cale’s shoulders - as though exposing a rare beast in its den.
Cale blinked once. Then, twice. His expression was unreadable, but the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips made Alberu’s instincts flare in warning.
“Oh, our radiant Sun, the pride of Roan,” Cale began in an eerily soft tone, his smile sweet as venom. “How could a humble, retired commander such as myself ever dream to bask in your light? Your mere thought of including this lowly one fills me with unworthy joy-”
“Enough,” Alberu cut him off with a sharp click of his tongue, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Stop dripping sarcasm like oil, You Bastard .”
Cale’s smile only deepened, eyes narrowing with faux sincerity. “As you command, Your Highness.”
A quiet, mutual silence followed - the kind that could curdle milk - before Alberu sighed, realizing for the hundredth time that peace and Cale Henituse could never coexist in the same sentence.
Alberu parted his lips, ready to continue his carefully crafted persuasion - but Cale, with the precision of a blade, cut him off by folding his arms across his chest.
“Nope.”
The single word was flat, final, and delivered with the serenity of a man who had already resigned from life itself.
“Cale-” Alberu began, voice tight with restrained patience.
“Take Robbit,” Cale interjected smoothly, his tone steady as stone. “He’s your brother.”
Alberu frowned, his composed smile twitching. “He’s not the Commander.”
Cale’s lips curved into a smirk - a dangerous, knowing smirk that always spelled trouble for the one standing across from him. “Well, neither am I. Remember? It’s ‘Ex-Commander.’”
Alberu’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Ex or not, the title still binds you, Cale.”
Cale huffed, the sound quiet yet filled with a certain stubborn defiance. Alberu knew that tone too well - it was the sound of an impending argument he wouldn’t win. And yet, the glint in his blue eyes suggested otherwise. Alberu Crossman wasn’t one to walk into battle unprepared.
Cale opened his mouth, his voice laced with finality. “I’m done. I’m not going-”
A small, delighted squeak sliced through his words.
“Going? Human!”
The familiar, high-pitched voice came from behind Alberu. Cale’s shoulders stiffened as he turned his gaze toward the door - where a tiny black dragon fluttered excitedly into the room, his scales gleaming like polished obsidian in the afternoon light.
“Human! Are we going on another adventure?!” Raon exclaimed, wings flapping as he landed between the two men, eyes shining like twin dark azure gems.
Cale froze. His mind blanked for a heartbeat before his inner thoughts snapped in irritation.
‘Tsk. I sent the children to Eruhaben-nim… How are they even here?’
He shifted his gaze to Alberu - who was, predictably, smirking like a fox who’d just cornered its prey.
Cale’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. ‘You bastard.’
“Outing! Outing!” Hong meowed happily as he trotted in, his red fur puffing up in excitement. His tail swished from side to side, matching the rhythm of his cheerful steps.
Behind him, On followed with her usual calm, golden eyes gleaming with amusement. She snickered lightly, her whiskers twitching as she spoke through their silent understanding.
‘You’re so done.’
And she was right.
Cale exhaled a long, weary sigh - the sound of a man defeated by small, fluffy forces of nature. Finally, he lowered his head, letting his face sink into Hong’s fur as the kitten purred and meowed in delight.
Alberu chuckled quietly behind his hand, utterly pleased with the scene.
Cale didn’t even look up as he muttered in a deadpan tone, muffled by fur, “I’ll have your crown one day and give it to Robbit”
“Of course, my dongsaeng,” Alberu replied smoothly, amusement dancing in his voice knowing the harmless threat. “You can have it - after the celebration.”
Cale only grumbled into the fur more.
Later that evening, Cale sat upon the couch, his expression composed yet dangerous - the kind of calm that promised quiet retribution. The faint rustle of his blanket brushing against the fabric was the only sound in the air.
Beside him stood Choi Han, posture tense, sweat tracing a slow line down his temple.
“Choi Han,” Cale called, voice soft, far too soft - the tone that sent wordmaster to more tense posture, Choi Han had gotten to this tone by now.
It always meant, he's so done.
Choi Han’s shoulders stiffened immediately. “…Yes, Cale-nim?”
Cale’s gaze lifted, his reddish-brown eyes sharp as a blade hidden beneath silk.
“Weren’t you with the children and Eruhaben-nim? How did they get here? They were supposed to be back by dinner time yet came back by noon?”
The swordsman faltered, his lips parting as his mind raced for an answer. He closed his eyes briefly. ‘Ah… I’m so done for.’
“Uh… Cale-nim, I… it was just…” His voice trailed, words tangling in his throat. “The kids… they were just…”
Cale didn’t even blink. That alone was enough to make Choi Han’s attempted lie crumble.
“…Right,” the swordsman finished weakly, surrendering to the silence.
Cale exhaled slowly, leaning back against the couch. His expression was unreadable - calm on the surface, but the faint twitch of his lips betrayed his inner turmoil.
He huffed under his breath, more to himself than to anyone else. “It’s not like I can back down now… not after telling the kids.”
For a moment, his gaze softened - the sharp edges of the commander giving way to the faint warmth of a father figure he never admitted to being.
He knew it well: he spoiled them far too much. He let them get away with things no one else could.
And yet…
A faint, tired smile tugged at his lips.
So what?
Children should be happy - carefree enough to ask, to demand, to dream. If that meant Cale Henituse had to suffer a few royal banquets and Alberu’s teasing, then so be it.
He leaned his head back, muttering softly, “Let them be happy. That’s enough.”
Choi Han watched him quietly - a hint of amusement mingled with admiration in his eyes.
The next morning arrived with all the subtlety of a battlefield trumpet.
Cale groaned, dragging his blanket over his head like a man trying to escape reality itself. Unfortunately, reality came in the form of three overly affectionate, overly energetic small beasts who had decided that now - of all times - was the perfect moment to snuggle, crawl over him, and pry the blanket from his grasp.
Raon’s voice rang out, bright and enthusiastic - far too radiant for Cale’s fragile dawn mood.
“Human! Come on! Lemon Gramps said to wake up! He’s preparing the carriage and everything with Choi Han and the others!”
The cat siblings chimed in with eager meows, scrambling over his chest and shoulders. Their soft paws patted at his cheeks until Cale caught them gently in his hands, letting out a long, exhausted groan.
He sat up slowly, pushing a hand through his long, tangled hair. His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
‘Others? But I told Choi Han only he, Ron, and Vicross were going…’
A sigh escaped him. Clearly, his orders had been overruled by the collective chaos known as his family.
Hong shifted into his human form in a puff of red light, sitting cross-legged in front of Cale with a grin bright enough to rival the morning sun.
“Finally! It’s been so long since we’ve gone on an adventure!” he chirped, practically vibrating with excitement.
On, still in her feline form, stretched lazily and flicked her tail with a smirk.
“It means Cale’s going to get in trouble again.”
Cale furrowed his brows.
…He did not get in trouble.
At least… not that much.
Raon and Hong gasped in unison, the realization hitting them like a divine revelation. Raon fluttered into the air, zooming forward until his chubby, scaly face hovered mere inches from Cale’s.
“Human! Don’t worry!” Raon announced dramatically. “We can protect you!”
Hong nodded vigorously, clapping his hands together with a mischievous gleam lighting up his red eyes.
“Yes! We can smack all the trouble away!”
Cale stared at them - the tiny dragon beaming with righteous determination, the small red kitten radiating barely-contained mischief, and the silver cat snickering like the world’s most elegant troublemaker.
‘This’ he thought with a resigned sigh, ‘is exactly why people didn't think about adopting children in Korea…’
Still…
His expression softened, just for a fleeting second.
If trouble was inevitable, at least he had his little troublemakers with him.
In his unguarded self , a little crack.
It didn't take long when he heard a creeping voice giving him chills down his spine.
“Young master”
Ron.