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"LET GO OF ME you fucking Jack!" Joon shouted as Ervin Walker gripped his wrist, dragging him away from the classroom after his little stunt earlier.

     "You're a Jack too, you know," Ervin reminded him. "And didn't you see the vice president's face? If we didn't pull you away from there he might have punched you and that's not good."

     "E-Ervin, maybe you should let go of him," Ari, who was actually following behind them, Felix on his right, suggested with a terrified look on his face. Ari might be tough, but it was never on his bucket list to drag a brotherhood leader like that, let alone a brotherhood leader like Joon.

     "Max said Étienne is already outside so we just have to hand this Ice Prince over to him so he can take him away," Felix then says, making Joon glare at him. Unfortunately, Felix didn't seem to be fazed by it. They've battled together in the same battleground during the Annual Reranking. Felix doesn't seem to be scared of Joon anymore after what happened.

     "I can't believe Max is living with him. He probably doesn't feel safe in his own home anymore. That's so sad," Ari whispered next.

     "I heard that," Joon responded, instantly making Ari flinch.

     "You know, a king is already chasing after you. You can't just casually add an Elite member to the list," Ervin scolded soon after, which scared Ari even more because of how bold Ervin was talking to Joon, but surprisingly enough, Joon didn't say anything else. He probably respects Ervin's position as Master Jack, or he's just too tired to complain. Thankfully the troublesome white uniform stopped struggling and just let Ervin reprimand him.

     "No one knows Max and Gavriil's dynamic. We don't know how they are together or how they support each other, but what we do know is that we never cross a line, even if it's just a joke. It might have been fun and games for you, but Max respects the vice president a lot. You said something that might have broken Gavriil's trust, and that's so wrong considering everything Max has been doing for you," Ervin continued to scold, and Felix and Ari swore that they saw Joon pouting.

     "Make sure you apologize to Max when he comes home later. You put him in a lot of trouble just now," the Master Jack adds, and Joon no longer argues.

     When they finally arrive at the Keep, Ervin pulls Joon outside. And like what Max predicted, Étienne was waiting in front of the building, standing beside a white car with the Lemieux emblem attached to the hood.

     "Mr. Walker," Étienne says in shock. "Mr. Faulkner and Sir Campbell too. What are you three doing to Sir Kim?" the clueless butler confusingly asked as Ervin finally let go of Joon, Felix handing him his suitcase.

     "Max said he'll go home by himself. Please drive Kim Hee-joon home safely instead," Ervin says, and Joon heads inside the car without saying anything else, slamming the door shut in annoyance.

     Étienne was still unsure of what was happening, so he looked back at the three gaffers and finally asked, "What in the bloody hell is going on? Where's Master Leigh?"

...

"G-Gav, let me explain," Max struggles to say as Gavriil drags him into a dark and empty room. As soon as they're inside, Gavriil pushes Max against the wall and corners him there so he won't be able to escape. 

     Gavriil looked so serious that Max had to swallow the lump in his throat before attempting to explain the situation again. "I know I should have told you, and I know that I'm wrong for deliberately trying to hide it from you, but I—"

     "Do you understand how dangerous Viktor is?" Gavriil suddenly interrupts, making Max furrow his brows in confusion. He thought Gavriil was going to ask about Joon, but he didn't expect him to mention Viktor instead.

     "Viktor has a guy locked in a fucking cage because their brotherhood shot Kim Hee-joon. What happens now if he finds out who's hiding him? That brooch won't protect you outside these walls, and you know well enough that Viktor won't care if you're a Lemieux because he has nothing to lose," Gavriil explains, frustration present in his voice that Max couldn't even say anything anymore.

     "I have always always trusted you Max, and I know that there's a reason why you're letting him stay with you. But you should have told me," Gavriil continues to say. "What if...what if something happens to you and I don't even have a clue why? What if Viktor suddenly paid people to raid your house? Because if you're not aware yet, Viktor is very capable of doing that."

     "Gav..."

     "What if Joon betrays you and runs back to him? What if Viktor would rather hurt you just to get Joon back?"

     "He won't."

     "How sure are you?"

     "I...I'm—"

     "I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say, Leigh," Gavriil says, trying to sound calm but the look on his face said otherwise. "Alright, let's say you trust Joon and Viktor enough not to do anything to you outside J.S High, so let me give you a different scenario. What if I had someone sleeping in my apartment and I hid that fact from you? What would you feel then?" Gavriil asks next, and the moment Max hears the question, his chest ached in an instant.

     He imagined Gavriil in the dining room eating with someone and he doesn't even know about it. He imagined Gavriil sleeping with someone, laughing with someone, and comforting that person without care—everything he'd been doing with Joon in secret—and Max felt angry.

     The mere thought of Gavriil being with someone else in secret instantly made a tear fall from Max's eye. He was frustrated, mostly to himself. Max never had any issue with his relationship with Gavriil before he left for St. George Academy. He liked how they were private and careful, and that they could do anything without worrying about what the other felt. But Max was feeling the opposite right now.

     Maybe Max became too comfortable that Gavriil wouldn't get mad at him, or maybe it's the effects of being apart from him for so long, but Max realized that apart from conquering the brotherhoods and working on J.S High, there's someone important to him that he shouldn't be ignoring all the time.

     "I'm sorry," Max suddenly says as more tears pour out of his eyes. "Please don't be mad," he adds.

     Gavriil takes a deep breath, and for a split second, he sees his childhood friend who used to cry like that all the time. Without saying anything else, Gavriil reached out to Max and wiped his tears away for him, his cautious touch making Max cry even more.

     "We never questioned each other Leigh, but I love you, more than you could ever comprehend. You don't know what I'm capable of doing if anything happens to you, that's why I don't care how many bruises I'll get as long as you're safe. I'll always stand behind you as you reach your goals. You don't have to tell me everything that you're doing, but please...don't give me a reason to worry," Gavriil softly says, his voice calmer than earlier.

     Max doesn't say anything and just nods his head while tears continue to stream down his cheek. The way he was crying made Gavriil smile a little.

     "You really are a crybaby."

     "I'm sorry."

     "Don't think about it anymore."

     "But—"

     "Shh..." Gavriil says, gently caressing Max's cheek with his thumb. "If you really feel sorry then kiss me."

      The sudden request finally calmed Max down. Gavriil thought Max wouldn't think much of what he said, but then Max leaned forward and pressed his lips on Gavriil with no hesitation. Gavriil was surprised, but he adjusted himself, wrapping his hand around Max's waist and pulling him closer like it was the most natural thing to do.

     The kiss deepens, and their body touches with little to no struggle. Max pulls away for a second to catch his breath, but he presses his lips against Gavriil again, thinking it would be a shame to stop now.

     Gavriil eventually became eager too. His hands were on Max's nape. He was pulling him closer to taste him more. He wanted Max so badly that his reason left him before he could even have a chance. He didn't even care that they were still in school. In the back of his mind, he thought it would be better if someone heard them.

      The vice president might not admit it, but aside from his worries about what Viktor might do if he finds out that Joon is living with Max, the reason why he's so irritated is because he's jealous. When he heard that Joon was living with him, something inside him just snapped.

     He felt the possessiveness that he always pinned on Viktor.

     And despite denying it for so long, he realized that Viktor was right.

     They weren't that different at all.

     Gavriil was just better at hiding it.

     "Leigh...you're mine. Do you understand that?" Gavriil unconsciously whispers against Max's ear, making Max's entire body shiver.

     "All of you," he continued to whisper, kissing Max's neck this time, knocking the peak cap off of the young heir's head as he pushed him further against the wall. Gavriil then unbuttons Max's shirt and starts kissing his bare chest, a heavenly voice escaping from Max's mouth as the Vice President claims every part of Max with his lustful touch.

     "I'll allow you to help Joon. You can even be best friends for all I care..." Gavriil says in between their kisses. "But if that bitch dares to look at you beyond that...I'll fucking hand him to Viktor myself, do you understand me, Leigh?"

     "Y-Yes," Max tries to answer, his lips colliding with his lover right after.

     The situation was getting dangerous. It was becoming very dangerous. Gavriil knew that if he didn't stop now, he'd end up doing something he's not supposed to. So, while he still had his sanity, the vice president finally pulled away, panting heavily as if that took him all his strength to do so.

     "No...more..." Max whispers under his breath, his eyes almost hazy. He grabbed Gavriil's collar and pulled him close to kiss him again, but Gav stopped him.

     "Fuck, don't tempt me," he whispers back. Max wanted to protest, but he eventually came back to his senses when he overheard students laughing outside the room.

     While Max tries to catch his breath, Gavriil looks at his boyfriend and examines him. His face was flushed, and his unbuttoned shirt showed a glimpse of the hickeys Gav left on him. The mere sight of him almost made Gavriil kiss him again.

     "Do you know how sexy you look right now?" Gavriil asks, and Max grins before buttoning his shirt back.

     Gavriil tries to keep his cool as he picks Max's cap from the floor. He dusts it off and hands it to Max who then reaches out to fix his hair for him in return. Right after, Max touches his chest, and his cheek, gazing deeply into his eyes like Gavriil was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

     "I don't see Joon as anything more than a little brother," Max suddenly admits.

     "You're not an orphanage to be looking for little brothers. Besides, isn't Marcus enough?" Gavriil asks back, making Max laugh. 

     While he was laughing, Gavriil lifted him off the floor effortlessly and made him sit on a table. Gavriil stood between his legs, and the two kissed again, but it wasn't as desperate as earlier. 

     "Maybe I should lock you up," Gavriil jokingly says while touching the brooches on Max's collar. "Or not..." he adds with a grin.

     Max chuckles, but then he becomes quiet, like he's thinking of something. Soon after, he pulls Gavriil close so he can rest his head on the vice president's chest, the familiar scent making him close his eyes in relief. "I like this side of you too," Max tells him.

     "What side?"

     "This..." he says. "Your jealous side."

     [At the Sinclaire Residence]

     "Welcome back, Master Leigh," the maids greet as Max walks up the front door, the maids and butlers bowing their heads to welcome him back.

     Joon, who's wearing matching pajamas and sitting in the living room eating rice cakes, looks at Max who's approaching him with a serious look on his face. Joon thought Max was going to get mad over what happened earlier, but instead, Max grabbed the extra chopstick on the table and took a bite of the sticky cake.

     While chewing on the snack, Max puts his suitcase down and takes a seat in front of Joon.

     Joon doesn't say anything and just stares at Max cautiously. But after a while, he shamelessly asks, "Did you guys fuck and make up?"

     The moment Joon asked the question, Max immediately choked.

     Joon rolls his eyes back and hands him a glass of water. Thankfully, Max was able to swallow down the Injeolmi and survived death.

     "It still surprises me that you actually have a foul mouth with that innocent-looking face of yours," Max says, finishing the water in his glass before putting it down on the table.

     "Did that annoying vice president say anything?" Joon asks instead.

     "What were you doing in our classroom?" Max asks back, avoiding Joon's question.

     Joon grabs another rice cake and chews on it. After finishing up at least two more of that deadly dessert, Joon looks back at Max and finally says, "Rothman was asking if Omega Society can help with the clean-up after the Spring Dance. He said you guys will be compensated if you agree to take on the job."

     "You're running errands for him now?"

     "Just tell me your fucking answer."

     Max grinned, and then he nodded his head. "Fine, tell President Ian we'll do it. But I'll only accept the job if each of our members gets a minimum of 300 points. If it's lower than that we're not taking it," Max explains. And as irritating as it may be, Joon pulls out his phone and sends President Ian the details.

     "Anyway..." Max stood up from the sofa and fixed his uniform. "You know where my brother is?"

     "He hasn't come back yet," Joon casually answers.

     "Then it won't be much of a problem," Max says. "Go change your clothes. We're going somewhere."

      Joon wanted to protest, but Max was already running upstairs to change as well, leaving Joon with no choice but to finish his snack and do what he was told.

     After changing into casual clothes, Joon runs down the stairs and finds Max waiting for him outside the mansion. When he got there, he was surprised to see Max leaning on a different car that Joon had only seen for the first time.

     "Where's Étienne?"

     "He's not coming. It's just you and me," Max answers. "Now hop on. I'll drive."

     Without waiting for Joon's response, Max enters the car first. Joon wasn't particularly happy about someone bossing him around, but Joon didn't have the energy to argue. When he sat in the passenger's seat, Max started driving off without saying a single thing. Joon wanted to at least ask where they were going, but he knew that even if he did, Max wouldn't say anything to him.

     "Okay, I know that what I did was a shitty move," Joon said instead while looking out of the car window. "I shouldn't have said something like that because I was irritated. It was pretty childish, I'll at least admit that."

     "Pretty childish?"

     "Stupid? Petty? Is that what you prefer?"

     "You know, if you're going to apologize you could just say so," Max tells him, making Joon roll his eyes back again. He wasn't apologizing, that he's sure of, but he wasn't denying it either.

     "Well, whatever it is you're trying to say, I get it. I'm sure being in a white uniform again has put a toll on you, and you're still adjusting to your new environment, so whatever it was that happened earlier, let's just forget about it. It's honestly not a big deal anyway," Max explains, finally making Joon look back at him.

     "What did Alexeev say?" Joon suddenly asks for the second time.

     Max doesn't answer anymore. Instead, he stopped the car and parked it at the side of the road, making Joon look out the window in confusion.

     "Follow me."

     Max heads out of the car, Joon right behind him.

     "Where are we?" Joon asks as Max walks up to the front door where a guard is waiting. Without saying anything, Max pulled out his I.D. and showed it to him, making the guard automatically open the door for them.

     Max heads inside, but before getting any further, Joon grabs his arm and stops him. "Where the hell are you taking me? If you don't answer I'm gonna steal your car and drive away," Joon finally threatens, making Max sigh.

     Max pushed Joon's hand away from him, and then he looked at Joon seriously and said, "You asked what Gavriil said to me, then let me answer you now. Gav didn't get mad. He didn't tell me to avoid you or stop helping you because as I said, what happened earlier was very...petty. But there is one thing I realized after that pettiness.

      "My kindness has a limit, and I will not make him worry and overthink anymore than I already have," Max revealed, unconsciously making Joon gulp.

     "W-what are you talking about?"

     "It's not your fault Joon, and this doesn't mean that I'm no longer gonna help either. But I think I have been going over and beyond for you a little too much. Sooner or later my protectors might be jealous, especially since they still feel pretty hurt about what you did to them in the past," Max explained further, but now with a much lighter tone.

     "Anyway, you have chosen your brotherhood, which means you will be in his protection now. I'll still see you tomorrow, okay?" Max finally said. And before Joon could even react, an equally intimidating man appeared before them, leaving Joon speechless.

     "And who the fuck said I'd be jealous?" Krist Hyusen, also known as Master Joker, the leader of Rank 6 brotherhood, Jokers, says as he approaches Joon who looks at him like he's some kind of ghost.

     "Étienne will bring your things tomorrow. But if there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask Krist," Max says, making Joon look at him like he's about to kill him.

     "Have you lost your mind Sinclaire?" Joon angrily asks.

      "It was a pleasure having you as my guest," Max says with a smile instead. "And pro tip, Joonie, this homeowner is less kinder than I am. He might be the leader of Jokers, but he's a total killjoy so behave yourself. I'll see you tomorrow," Max finishes, bowing his head to Joon before looking at Krist and nodding his head. Krist nods back as Max finally walks away.

     As soon as Max leaves, Krist looks at Joon from head to toe, making Joon take a step back. He was about to make a run for it, but the guards closed the door behind him, leaving Joon trapped with the master joker.

     "You're such an eyesore to look at," Krist says, his hands inside his pocket as Joon glares at him, acting as if the baron just kidnapped him.

     "What did that fucking vice president say to Sinclaire?" Joon asks again, angry that this is how things ended.

     The question made Krist laugh. "Why, does it hurt to be thrown away? You thought you could tame Max and make him follow you like a dog?" he then asked, almost making Joon punch him.

"You know Viktor enough, right? Then you know who his friends are. Birds of a feather flock together after all."

     "What the hell are you talking about?"

     "The king, Gavriil, Max, Cindy, and even Grey...you ever wonder why they're so close? It's because they trust no one but each other. Believe it or not but if Max ever says to Viktor to stop chasing after you, there's a chance he'll listen to him. Deep down Viktor is still chained by his relationship with them. People like us? We don't exist in their world," Krist explains.

     "Viktor's doesn't care about them anymore," Joon replies.

     "Oh please. Just admit that Max chose Gavriil over you and that pisses you off," Krist says, making Joon clench his fist in anger. "Max and Viktor are similar, which is why you feel attracted to him. The vice president is aware of that too, which is why he made a move before you get too attached like you are to Viktor."

     "Shut up..." Joon says, looking visibly angrier by the second.

     Krist chuckles and approaches Joon until there's only a few inches of space left between them. "What's wrong? Kings are too troublesome. Don't you want to be entertained by a jester instead?" Krist then asks him, the two staring at each other, not daring to look away.

     "Humor me then, Krist Hyusen," Joon challenged, making Krist grin this time.

     "Oh don't go there, darling," Krist says, grabbing Joon by the cheek and squeezing it tight. "I have a habit of clinging to the past, so don't you dare go there...Joonie." 

- END -