𝟐𝟐
Diona was all knowing, right?
So maybe, just maybe...
"My Auntie and her husband. What exactly are they doing right now, Diona?" Kilian questioned.
"You don't wanna know, kid." the plant replied curtly and the little boy blinked once, unimpressed.
"You don't know, do you?"
"I know. I'm just being nice and refraining from traumatizing you." Diona replied simply and Kilian's eyes narrowed.
"I paid you, tell me!"
"Ask me something else."
"Hmph... who killed my Dad?"
"Not gonna tell you that either."
"What the— you scammed me!"
"Here's a little something." Diona chirped, "When you all go on that trip to the museum... don't go."
"What? What trip to the museum?" Kilian demanded.
"You gotta pay extra if you wanna know." the plant said dismissively and the boy huffed, fuming.
"I'm never coming back here again!" he shouted, storming out of the room with a furious look.
"You and I both know that's a lie! Also, there's occupation investigation project coming up. You should totally interview your Aunt, or, better yet, your Uncle Yuri." the plant called after the retreating boy.
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"Job investigation, huh?" y/n murmured with a thoughtful look as her and Kilian were setting the table.
"I'm supposed to choose someone to ask about their occupation. General stuff like what they do, why they chose the job, and such." Kilian explained, "I wanted to ask you, but..."
"I get it." y/n chuckled, "I've got a great idea! Why don't you ask Yuri, hm? I'm sure he'll be glad to help."
Kilian smiled and nodded.
"Mm, I'll ask him." 'I doubt he'll be glad.'
When Yuri returned in time for dinner and the trio sat down to eat, Kilian took his sweet time enjoying his Aunt's cooking. Was it just him, or was it better than usual now that he was about to ruin Yuri's day?
He waited till Yuri was in the middle of eating before clearing his throat and announcing in his best six year old voice, "Hey, geezer, I wanna go to work with you again."
Yuri choked on his food and y/n gasped, "Yuri!"
'💩! I knew something was up when that poison went missing! Did I mix it with the food on accident?!' y/n thought in alarm as Kilian just kept eating.
"Yuri, are you alright?" y/n asked frantically, patting her husband's back, 'Please don't be poisoned-!'
"Urgh... I'm fine..." Yuri mumbled before giving Kilian a frown, "Why exactly do you want to go to work with me?"
"I have a school project." Kilian replied, "A job investigation project. Auntie said a Casino probably wouldn't be a good idea, so she suggested I ask you!"
Yuri looked to his wife for answers and she only smiled with a thumbs up, 'Bonding time, Yuri!'
'Damn it, I think this kid knows something. I made a mistake bringing him along with me that first time, thinking he'd be too stupid to figure it out, but I severely underestimated him.' Yuri thought with frustration, 'He's not just book smart, he's a devious little villain! Damn it, he clearly thought ahead when he decided to ask in front of y/n...!'
If he declined, y/n would definitely have reasons to ask why. Yuri could never flat out lie to his wife, he struggled with that. He could only tell half lies and dodge the truth.
But in a situation like this-!
"Ahem, I'll have to ask my Boss." Yuri mumbled, averting his gaze, "It'll depend on his reply."
That's right, it all depended on his boss.
The following day when he went to work, he internally pleaded for the man not to agree.
"Bring your nephew? Sure!"
Yuri gawked as his boss beamed, "E-Excuse me?"
"You're talking about that little boy Kilian, right? Go ahead and bring him right back! He seems like a smart little kid, and he even promised to keep quiet about you during his last visit." the man explained with a smile, "Go ahead and bring him! Who knows, maybe he'll grow up to become a counterintelligence agent like you."
'You've gotta be kidding.'
And so, a couple days later, Kilian accompanied Yuri yet again to his work place. He greeted the lady at the front desk this time, earning a bunch of compliments about how polite he was.
"Little twerp." Yuri told him afterwards.
"Not my fault people like me." the boy retorted, "Anyways, just do your thing. I'll write my notes for my report."
"Ugh..." Yuri's eyes narrowed, 'This is a bad idea.'
He felt awkward as Kilian followed him around all day, feeling the boy's gaze BURNING into his back as he went about his daily tasks and such.
When Yuri was doing surveillance, Kilian wrote notes.
When Yuri was discussing something with his co-workers, Kilian was still writing notes.
And then... a suspect was brought in.
Yuri went into the interrogation room thinking that he wouldn't have to worry about his nephew being there—
Oh my god-
Kilian was looming right outside the door as Yuri was interrogating a man, eyes wide like a cat's as he tracked the young man's every move.
The boy blinked.
Yuri blinked.
"I'm telling Auntie." Kilian stated before writing something down and marching away with a huff.
Yuri and Kilian eventually left for lunch, Kilian opting to eat the lunch y/n had packed for him rather than ordering food from the restaurant where him and his Uncle has stopped.
He nibbled on his food with a pleased look, "Mm... Auntie's cooking is the best I've ever had... anyways, do you like your job, old man?"
"Do I like my job?" Yuri echoed, "I don't really like it, it's just something I feel obligated to do."
"For money, huh?"
"No, not just for money." Yuri corrected the boy, "My parents died when I was young, so my older sister used to go out and work so she could afford to send me to school and buy me anything I needed for school. She was always the one looking after me, and she was all I had left, so I grew up wanting to protect him."
"And then, I met your Aunt. My wife. From the moment we became friends, to the day we got married, I've always wanted to shield her from harm. I chose my job because I wanted Ostania to be a safe place for my sister and wife. I want them to smile without a care in the world, and I'll do anything to achieve that." Yuri's expression was full of determination and passion only for a crunch to interrupt him.
He looked to Kilian who was munching on chips and the boy paused, "Oh. Were you saying something?"
Yuri inhaled deeply, then let out a long exhale.
Y/n wanted him to get along with Kilian.
While the boy was a pain in the 🍑, Yuri could be patient. He could be patient for y/n. Just for y/n.
Kilian grabbed his notebook, writing something down, before announcing, "I should've asked some random guy on the street, I'd have much more luck there."
The ebony haired man had to grip the table to avoid snatching the little boy up by his hair as he went back to eating.
'For... for y/n.'
Yuri and Kilian didn't speak a word to one another when they returned home, the silence between the two of them worrying y/n.
Kilian finished his report, and he went into school the next day with his report completed. When Becky asked him about it, he simply stated that it was half-hearted and nothing really special.
Yuri expected this.
Oh? Did I say Yuri?
Yes indeed.
Yuri and the First Lieutenant had been undercover at Eden Academy to arrest some dude who they'd found guilty of conspiring with Westalis' counterintelligence agency.
Usually they'd go in all bold and 💩, but Yuri insisted on being inconspicuous about it. As they were on their way to arrest the man, Yuri had heard Kilian and Becky chatting in the classroom.
The boy's statement was unsurprising to him, and him and the First Lieutenant simply went on their way to arrest the school councilor who had been found guilty.
"Kilian Briar, you're up first." Mr. Henderson announced and the boy shrunk in his seat a little, feeling the back of his ears and neck go warm.
He hated speaking in front of a lot of people... he always felt light headed and annoyingly hot.
Kilian shakily got up and carefully made his way to the front of the classroom before clearing his throat, "The person who I decided to interview and conduct my job investigation on was my Uncle. Yuri Briar."
Yuri halted outside the classroom door and immediately peeked in, looking alarmed, '💩! I knew it! He's gonna snitch!'
The First Lieutenant paused and looked back at Yuri with a frown, "Second Lieutenant? What are you doing?"
"He currently works as a diplomat at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. For those of you who do not know, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for promoting tourism, trade with other countries, maintaining a positivity image of our country, and, among other things, maintaining peace as well as international cooperation." Kilian continued, staring intensely at the clock at the back of the classroom.
He'd prefer to stare at a clock than at his classmates.
"While this may not seem all that important, it is far more vital than you would expect. The peace between Ostania and other countries is impacted by my Uncle's performance at work." Kilian drawled on before pausing, "Fortunate for us, he's not as incompetent as I initially believed him to be."
The First Lieutenant joined Yuri by the door, glancing back and forth between the young man and the little boy in the middle of his presentation.
"To maintain good relations with other countries, you must do everything you can to remain on their good side. My Uncle does this by watching his target, listening and observing from afar as he gauges what they're like and what he should expect." Kilian hummed, "He communicates well with his co-workers, sharing his findings, suggesting the best course of action, and by the time negotiations begin, he's ready."
Anya's eyes rounded, 'Secret Police!'
"It's because if my Uncle, and his co-workers, that peace is maintained and Ostania continues to thrive. I sometimes question his methods, but he gets the job done and keeps us all safe in his own way." Kilian continued on, "As for his motives, he does it for his sister and wife. They're the two most important people in the world to him, and he does what he does so that they can smile without a care in the world. I'm not all that interested in being a diplomat when I get older, but after witnessing my Uncle in action, I found myself almost considering it. After reviewing my notes and writing this report, I've come to the conclusion that a job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is one to consider. Especially if you have the drive to protect your loved ones and see them smile."
The boy let out a breath.
"Thank you for your time."
Kilian speed walked back to his seat and practically dove into the row, face burning from the lingering stage terror left from his presentation.
"Your nephew, huh? That was a nice little presentation." The two SSS agents outside the room lingered a moment longer before the first lieutenant tugged on Yuri's arm, "Come on, we need to get going."
'Everything he saw. He observed, wrote it down, and twisted it into a believable story that would fit my cover occupation.' Yuri realized as he walked down the hall with the First Lieutenant.
It was a long moment before he smiled, 'Smart brat.'
Later on that evening, when Kilian returned from school, he was greeted with Yuri and some strawberry tarts.
"What's this for?" the boy questioned.
"A bakery had these three left so I went ahead and bought them." Yuri replied simply, "That, and I figured you'd need the treat after your presentation. Knowing how awkward you are, I'd figured it'd give you a bit of a scare."
Kilian scowled at the man, "You poisoned them."
"I did not!" Yuri snapped before crossing his arms, "Can't I do s tubing nice for you without you assuming I'm up to something?"
Kilian didn't reply, only grabbed a strawberry tart and but into it. He chewed for s long moment then shrugged.
"Not bad." he mumbled.
Kilian hopped up onto s chair at the table, nibbling on more of the strawberry tarts while Yuri sat with him.
There was a comfortable silence before Kilian broke it with a, "I got full marks on my project today."
"Really? You should tell y/n when she gets back.
I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to hear about that."
"Mm, I'll be sure to. Also... can you help me with my Bio-chem homework? I'm a little confused about one piece."
"Bio-chem?! In first grade?!"
"They bumped me up a few classes for science. It's my worst subject, so I've got no idea why."
Y/n returned a little late, a bit frazzled after a long day of constant chaos, and was mentally preparing herself to break up another argument between her nephew and husband.
Except... there was no arguing.
"The inner membrane of the mitochondria generated ATP, you've got that. Just keep in mind that it's mediated by oxidative phosphorylation."
"Uh... huh?"
"It harnesses oxygen reduction to generate the ATP. Write that down. You'll remember it better if you do."
Y/n peeked around the corner and her eyes rounded at the sight of her husband and nephew sitting at the table together.
They were huddled close with cups of hot chocolate,
Yuri instructing Kilian through the homework while the little boy listened on attentively.
Oh my goddess, they were getting along...!
Y/n actually stood there and watched for three straight hours until both her husband and nephew fell asleep at the table together, clearly worn out.
She only left her hiding spot then, and marveled at the sight before her. Kilian had fallen asleep with his head rested on Yuri's arm while the young man was using the little boy's text books as pillows.
'So cute-!'
The h/c haired woman burned the memory into her brain before lightly tapping Yuri, "Hey, Yuri, it's time to wake up."
Her husband grumbled in his sleep and she chuckled, "Come on, let's get the two of you to bed. It'll be much more comfortable than the table."
"Mmrgh, no, I'm fine..." Yuri mumbled sleepily, grasping his wife's hand and giving it a comforting squeeze, "You go on to bed... I'll—" he broke off with a yawn, "—get Kilian tucked in..."
Y/n nodded and headed off to get in her pajamas.
She laid in bed for a long while, but got curious when Yuri didn't come to bed.
She went to investigate, and nearly died on the spot when she found Kilian all tucked in bed. He was sleeping soundly, but his hand was tightly gripping Yuri's fingers while the young man dozed at the side of his bed.
Y/n looked around before hurrying back to her room, retrieving a blanket and running back to Kilian's room.
She tossed the blanket over Yuri, crawling under and kneeling beside him to snuggle close to his side.
She fell right asleep there, kneeling beside Kilian's bed along with her sleepy husband. Their knees would definitely hurt in the morning, very much so, but that was alright.
The left over fuzzy adoration y/n felt upon seeing such a cute sight would leave her numb to the horrible knee pain for at least half the day.
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