Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Heartsteel apartment was never quiet. Even on off-days when there wasn’t a rehearsal scheduled, someone was always humming, strumming, yelling at a video game, or starting an argument over who ate the last pack of ramen. That afternoon was no exception. Ezreal had claimed the living room floor with a mountain of clothes he was “styling” for their next promo shoot. Kayn lounged on the couch with his phone, legs hanging over the armrest like he owned the place. Sett was in the kitchen rattling pans while insisting he was definitely a good cook if people would just give him a chance. K’Sante sat at the dining table with one of Aphelios’s lyric drafts spread between them, the two of them deep in quiet discussion about phrasing and melody. So when the front door clicked open, no one even looked up at first. They just assumed it was Yone, back from wherever producers disappeared when they weren’t wrangling the band into focus. And technically, it was Yone. But this time, he wasn’t alone.

The door swung wider, and there he stood: calm, composed, carrying himself with the same steady aura that made him look like he belonged more to another world than to this apartment. Only now, balanced against his hip, was a small child. For a full five seconds, no one said anything.
The boy was tiny. Two, maybe three years old, with dark, slightly tousled hair that looked suspiciously like a softer, smaller version of Yone’s own. He clung to Yone’s jacket with one hand, the other gripping a little stuffed animal that had clearly seen better days. His eyes were wide and alert, sweeping across the room full of strangers. Kayn was the first to break the silence. His phone slipped from his hand onto his chest as he sat upright. “...Uh. Is anyone else seeing this, or am I hallucinating?” Ezreal’s gasp was loud enough to echo. “Yone. Yone. Oh my god. What-what is that?!” Yone blinked slowly. “My son.”

The room erupted. Sett nearly dropped the frying pan. “WHAT?!” K’Sante stared so hard it looked like his brain had frozen. “You have a child?” Ezreal scrambled to his feet, tripping over his own carefully arranged pile of jackets. “Excuse me? You can’t just walk in here with a literal toddler and act like this is normal!” Even Aphelios, who usually stayed silent, looked up from his notebook, eyes wide with shock. Kayn pointed dramatically. “Okay. Pause. Stop everything. Backtrack. Since when the hell do you have a kid, man? We’ve lived together for years. YEARS. And you never said a word!”

Yone adjusted the boy on his hip, unbothered by the chaos. His calm tone only made their voices sound louder in comparison. “His name is Yuji. He is two and a half.” Yone’s hand absently brushed the boy’s hair back from his face. “He will be living here with us for the next month.” Yuji blinked at them, face scrunching as though he was already questioning their collective sanity. Sett gawked. “Hold up-with us? You’re moving a whole toddler into the Heartsteel apartment? Dude, this place isn’t even safe for me.” Ezreal’s hands flew around like he was trying to physically grab the words out of the air. “Okay, okay, wait, I need more context. Where did he come from? Like, who’s the mom? Why didn’t you tell us? What’s happening?!”

Yone set Yuji down gently on the floor. The boy wobbled for a moment on unsteady legs, then toddled a few steps forward until he stood in the middle of the living room. His stuffed toy dangled from his fist as he turned those big curious eyes on the band. They all stared back like he was a mythical creature. Finally, Yone spoke again, his voice calm but carrying enough weight to silence them. “He is my son with my wife. Yue.” For a moment, no one reacted. The name hung in the air, familiar but too unreal to process. Ezreal blinked furiously, like his brain was rebooting. “...Sorry, did you just say Yue? As in… THE Yue?” Kayn nearly fell off the couch. “No way. No freaking way. You mean the Yue? Like, the world-touring, stage-dominating, Black Roses Yue?!” Sett’s eyes went wide. “The one with, like, billions of streams? Bro, are you saying you’re married to her?” K’Sante’s voice was quieter, steadier, but no less incredulous. “The one on every billboard in the city.” Even Aphelios froze, his pen slipping from his fingers. He didn’t speak, but the look he gave Yone was sharp with disbelief.

Yuji, oblivious to the storm around him, plopped down on the rug and began examining one of Ezreal’s discarded belts with intense fascination. Meanwhile, Ezreal’s voice cracked as he shouted again. “You’ve been married to Yue this whole time and you have a kid and you didn’t tell us?!” Yone’s expression remained unreadable. “It was not relevant.”
Sett let out a strangled laugh. “Not relevant?! Dude, that’s, like, the most relevant thing you could possibly hide! You’re married to a superstar! And you brought her kid in here like you just picked him up from daycare!” Kayn groaned, dragging both hands down his face. “I can’t. This is too much. You’re literally living a soap opera and didn’t even give us a teaser trailer.”

Yone crouched beside Yuji, calmly redirecting the boy’s hands away from Ezreal’s belt and handing him a toy car from his bag instead. “What matters is this: Yue is on world tour. I will not leave Yuji alone. For one month, he will stay with me here.” The apartment went silent again. Yuji, meanwhile, pushed the toy car across the floor until it bumped into Sett’s shoe. He looked up at the towering singer with big, round eyes and announced in a tiny but clear voice: “Big.”
Sett melted instantly. “...Aw, buddy. Yeah. Uncle Sett’s big.” He crouched down, grinning wide. “Strongest guy in the room, too.”
Ezreal threw his arms up. “Great. First day and he’s already picking favorites.”
“Better than calling you scary,” Kayn muttered.
The others laughed, but beneath it all was the undeniable truth: Yone hadn’t just brought home a surprise. He’d brought home a whole new life.

---

The band crowded closer, still buzzing with disbelief, like they couldn’t quite accept that this wasn’t some elaborate prank. Yuji didn’t care, he was busy testing how far his toy car would roll across the rug before it tipped sideways. Sett leaned against the couch, shaking his head in disbelief. “I mean… I don’t even know what to say. You’re a dad. You’ve been a dad this whole time. And none of us knew.” Ezreal crossed his arms dramatically, pacing in a little circle. “Yeah, and not just a dad, but married to Yue, like, the Yue. You know how many times I’ve quoted her interviews in our interviews? And you just sat there like nothing?! You didn’t even blink when I called her my ultimate fashion inspiration. You, oh my god, you were probably laughing at me the whole time!”

Yone’s gaze didn’t flicker. “I was not laughing.”
“You were judging,” Ezreal accused, pointing a finger. “Secretly judging.” K’Sante finally raised a hand, his calm voice cutting through the noise. “What matters now is not what Yone told us in the past. What matters is the present. He and Yuji are here. That is what we must adjust to.”
“Adjust?” Kayn repeated, like the word was foreign. He threw both hands in the air. “Dude, I can’t even adjust to Sett cooking fish in the kitchen, and now you’re telling me we’re adjusting to a toddler living here? In this place?!” Sett bristled. “My cooking’s fine.”
“Your cooking’s a crime,” Kayn shot back.
Yuji perked up at their voices, head tilting curiously. He looked from one giant man to the other, then lifted his stuffed toy high like he was casting judgment. “Noisy.” The entire room fell silent. Then Aphelios, of all people, made a quiet sound that might have been a laugh.

Yone’s mouth curved into the faintest shadow of a smile. “He is perceptive.” Sett crouched down, still grinning. “Kid’s already got us figured out. Yeah, we’re noisy. You’ll get used to it, little man.” Ezreal gasped and threw a hand to his chest. “Excuse me, I am not noisy, I am expressive.”
“Loud,” Kayn corrected instantly. Ezreal ignored him and crouched down, lowering his sunglasses so Yuji could see his eyes properly. “Hey, Yuji. I’m Uncle Ez. Want to see something cool?” He pulled out a glittery bracelet from his pile of accessories and held it up like a magician performing a trick.
Yuji blinked. His tiny hand reached out and then he dropped the bracelet on the floor and pushed his car over it instead. Sett howled with laughter. “Rejected!” Kayn clapped his hands like he was cheering for a sports match. “That’s my boy!” Ezreal clutched his chest dramatically again. “Okay, okay, fine, he’s got standards. Respect.” While the others were fussing over Yuji, K’Sante turned to Yone, lowering his voice. “You’re serious about this. For a whole month.”

“Yes,” Yone replied simply. He had crouched beside his son, gently fixing the stuffed toy when it slipped from Yuji’s arms. His focus never wavered. “I will not leave him. Yue is touring. I cannot allow him to feel abandoned.”
The weight in his voice was quiet but final, like a line no one could cross. K’Sante nodded slowly. “Then we’ll need to prepare. This apartment is not… safe.” He glanced around at the loose wires, Kayn’s controller on the floor, Sett’s knives left on the counter. “We will have to adapt.” Yone inclined his head in agreement. “Yes. Baby-proofing.” The rest of the band, still crowded around Yuji, froze at that phrase. Ezreal groaned instantly. “Oh no. Oh, this is going to ruin my aesthetic.”
Kayn squawked, grabbing his game controller off the rug like it was a life-or-death emergency. “No. Absolutely not. You’re not taking my stuff. He can learn boundaries!”
“He’s two, Kayn,” K’Sante said flatly.
“Exactly! Perfect age to start teaching discipline!” Sett rolled his eyes. “Perfect age to choke on one of your guitar picks, bro. You’re cleaning those up before bedtime.”
Kayn looked personally offended. “They’re part of the vibe!” Yuji, oblivious, put one of Ezreal’s discarded rings on his thumb and held it up like a trophy. “Shiny.” Aphelios leaned forward slightly, expression unreadable. But when Yone reached to take the ring back, Aphelios quietly shook his head, letting Yuji keep it.

The chaos started to swell again, Kayn ranting, Ezreal fussing about “aesthetic murder,” Sett insisting he could build a baby gate out of spare speakers, until Yone finally stood and spoke, his voice quiet but firm. “You will adapt,” he repeated, eyes sweeping across them. “Because this is temporary. Yuji is not a guest. He is my son. He belongs here, with me.” The words cut through every argument. For a moment, the apartment was completely still. Then Yuji sneezed. And somehow, that broke the tension more effectively than anything else could have. Sett rushed to grab tissues, Ezreal squealed about how cute it was, Kayn shouted that sneezes weren’t cute, and K’Sante muttered something about patience. Through it all, Yone remained steady, one hand resting lightly on Yuji’s shoulder as if anchoring him in place.

The Heartsteel apartment had always been a whirlwind of sound and color. But now, with Yuji in the center of it, it felt like the storm had found its new eye.

Chapter Text

Morning sunlight spilled into the Heartsteel apartment through half-closed blinds, catching on the clutter from last night: stray guitar picks on the coffee table, an abandoned lyric sheet under Sett’s protein shake, Yuji’s toy car left stranded in the middle of the rug. It was the first full day of Yone and Yuji officially living in the WG, and the adjustment was already showing. Yuji was wide awake before anyone else, except Yone, who seemed to function on permanent quiet vigilance. By the time the rest of the band began stirring, the toddler had already managed to stack Sett’s shoes into a wobbly tower and was attempting to climb it like a mountain. “Bro, he’s gonna kill himself in here,” Sett groaned, swooping in to scoop Yuji off the tower. The boy squealed, not in fear, but in delight, little fists clinging to Sett’s hoodie strings. Ezreal, emerging dramatically with his hair already styled for no reason at all, gasped. “See? SEE? I told you this apartment is a death trap. It’s basically a toddler-sized obstacle course of doom. We’re doomed.”
“You’re doomed,” Kayn muttered, rubbing sleep from his eyes as he stumbled into the living room. “I’m fine. I can handle him.” Ezreal arched a brow. “Really? You, mister ‘I can’t even keep track of my own headphones’?”
“Those were stolen,” Kayn shot back immediately. “By who, the headphone fairy?”
Yuji giggled at their bickering, clapping his small hands together like it was premium entertainment. Sett smirked, bouncing the boy lightly on his hip. “Kid’s got good taste in comedy. Loves a clown show.” Ezreal gasped, pointing accusingly. “Excuse me, are you calling me a clown?”
“I didn’t say you,” Sett replied with faux innocence. Kayn leaned back on the couch, smug grin plastered across his face. “He didn’t have to.” Yuji’s laugh grew louder. “Noisy!” he declared again, and the whole room cracked up, even Aphelios, who gave the smallest shake of his head but the corners of his mouth betrayed him.

Aphelios was perched at the table, notebook open, pen poised, but his attention was clearly half on the room. Sett dropped down into the seat beside him with Yuji still in his lap.
“You know, Aphe,” Sett said, nudging him, “you’d make a great babysitter. You’re calm. Responsible. Good with quiet.” Aphelios glanced sideways, expression neutral, but tapped his pen twice against the page before writing a single word: No. Ezreal snorted. “See, even Aphelios knows better than to volunteer for this circus.” Kayn raised a brow. “Yeah, and I’m obviously the best choice anyway. Kid already likes me.”
“Liked Sett,” Ezreal corrected instantly.
“Liked me,” Kayn shot back. “He laughed at me.”
“He laughed at you, not with you.” Kayn groaned, dragging a pillow over his face. “I swear to god, I’m gonna lose my mind this month.”

Meanwhile, Yuji reached for Aphelios’s notebook, fascinated by the loops of ink on the page. Sett adjusted him carefully, letting the boy tap the cover but not smudge the words. “See? He likes you,” Sett teased. “You’re his favorite lyricist.” Aphelios finally looked at the child, then back to Sett, his pen scribbling a quick, dry note across the margin: Because he can’t read yet.
Sett barked a laugh so loud Yuji jumped, then laughed along with him. Ezreal rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. “Wow. Sett and Aphelios, comedy duo of the year. What’s next, an entire babysitting vlog channel?”
“Better than your fashion hauls,” Kayn said without missing a beat. Ezreal whipped around. “Excuse me?!”
“Excused,” Kayn said lazily, flopping back on the couch. Yuji clapped again, as though crowning Kayn the victor of the exchange.

By the time Yone reappeared from the kitchen with a cup of tea, the apartment was in full comedic chaos: Ezreal and Kayn mid-argument, Sett bouncing Yuji and egging everyone on, Aphelios writing silent commentary into his notebook that only made Sett laugh harder. Yone took in the scene without surprise, his gaze landing first on Yuji, ensuring he was safe, before setting his tea down. His voice, calm as ever, cut through the noise. “Today,” he said, “we babyproof.”
All noise stopped. Ezreal’s face fell. “No. No, no, no. You can’t. Don’t do this to me, Yone. My aesthetic-” K’Sante, emerging from his room, folded his arms with a firm nod. “Finally, someone said it.”
“Hell no!” Kayn sat up like he’d been electrocuted. “Not happening. He can learn boundaries!” Sett grinned. “Bro, he’s two. The only boundary he knows is how far he can throw that toy car before someone trips on it.”
Yuji demonstrated instantly by rolling the car into Ezreal’s ankle. Ezreal yelped. “See?! SEE?!”
Aphelios, deadpan, wrote on the edge of his notebook: Proof.

----

Yuji had officially declared the apartment his kingdom. He toddled from couch to table to carpet with fearless curiosity, poking at everything within reach. Every time one of the guys thought they’d distracted him with a toy, he’d immediately spot something else forbidden and make a beeline for it. This time, it was Kayn’s guitar stand. “Hey, hey, no!” Kayn scrambled off the couch as Yuji’s tiny fingers reached for the strings. “That is sacred equipment! Do you have any idea what one of these costs?!” Yuji smacked the strings experimentally, producing a loud twang. His face lit up like he’d discovered fire. Sett burst out laughing. “Guess he’s got taste. Already a musician.” Ezreal snorted. “More talent than Kayn, and he’s not even potty trained.”
Kayn rounded on him, scandalized. “Excuse me? You wanna go?” Yuji smacked the strings again. Twaaaang. Sett nearly fell off his chair laughing, Aphelios shaking his head silently beside him while scribbling one neat word into his notebook: Chaos.
Yone moved with quiet precision, lifting Yuji away from the guitar stand and replacing it with his toy car. The boy pouted for two seconds, then zoomed the car across the rug like nothing had happened. Yone straightened, his calm gaze sweeping across the band. “This is exactly why the apartment must be adjusted.”
“Adjusted?” Kayn echoed, already on the defensive. “I told you-he can learn boundaries!”
“He’s two,” Yone replied evenly.
“And?” Sett slapped Kayn on the back. “And that means if you leave one guitar pick on the floor, he’s gonna swallow it like a Tic Tac.”
Ezreal gasped, horrified. “Not on my watch! We are babyproofing everything. Locks, covers, gates, the whole deal. This is a fashion emergency. My rhinestone belts are literally choking hazards!” Kayn groaned loudly. “Then maybe don’t leave them all over the floor!”
“Excuse you, it’s called styling! That pile is curated!” Yuji, hearing the word, babbled happily, “Pile!” and pointed right at Ezreal’s heap of clothes. Sett howled with laughter. “Kid’s roasting you already, Ez.”
K’Sante reappeared with a toolbox in hand, moving with quiet efficiency toward the nearest outlet. “Yone is right. Safety first. We’ll cover the plugs, move fragile things to higher shelves, tie up cables. It’s not difficult.”
Ezreal recoiled. “Higher shelves? My shelf aesthetic is balanced!”
“Balanced with death traps,” Kayn muttered.
Aphelios slid his notebook across the table toward Sett. Two words in his neat handwriting: Your turn. Sett blinked. “My turn for what?” Aphelios gestured subtly toward Yuji, who was currently gnawing on the corner of Sett’s hoodie sleeve. Sett looked down, then shrugged, bouncing the kid on his knee. “Guess I’m on babysitting duty.” Ezreal crossed his arms, smirking. “Oh this I’ve gotta see. Sett as Mr. Responsible? He’ll last five minutes.”
“Better than you,” Kayn shot back. “You’d try to put the kid in sequins.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” Ezreal gasped, scandalized. “Sequins are timeless!” Yuji clapped his hands, eyes lighting up at the word. “Shiny!” Aphelios’s pen scratched across the page again: He prefers shiny over sequins. Sett laughed so hard his chair rattled.

The “babyproofing operation” devolved into chaos almost instantly. K’Sante tried to secure wires with zip ties, but Kayn kept tripping over them and yelling. Ezreal began moving his accessories off the lower shelves, narrating each removal like it was a funeral: “Goodbye, beloved crystal skull… you were too young to be shelved.” Sett chased Yuji around with a sippy cup, insisting he drink water, while Yuji screeched with glee and sprinted between furniture like it was a game. Aphelios quietly taped down a corner of the rug so Yuji wouldn’t trip, unnoticed by everyone until Sett almost faceplanted and realized it had saved him. And through it all, Yone moved silently, picking up after the chaos, redirecting his son when needed, his expression never changing.
At one point, Ezreal stopped dead in the middle of folding belts and threw his arms wide. “This is ridiculous. We’re Heartsteel. Global sensations. Icons of youth culture. And now we’re installing outlet covers and chasing a toddler with a water bottle. This is our life now?!” Yuji crawled into his lap and stuck one of his rhinestone hair clips in his mouth.
Ezreal screamed.

Yuji had managed to turn the living room into his personal racetrack. The toy car zoomed over the rug, under the table, then veered dangerously close to Kayn’s guitar stand again. Kayn’s eyes bulged. “Bro, he’s going for it, again!” He darted forward, but Yuji’s little hand was already reaching for the strings, face lighting up with recognition at the shiny instrument. Before Kayn could panic, Yone’s voice cut across the room, low, calm, but with enough weight to freeze Kayn mid-step.
“Kayn. Be especially mindful of your guitars.”
Kayn blinked. “Uh, what? Why me?”
Yone crouched beside Yuji, gently moving the boy’s hand away from the guitar and redirecting him back to the toy car. His tone didn’t change. “Because he is drawn to them. He often plays with Yue’s instruments. She allows it.” Ezreal’s jaw dropped. “Wait. You’re telling me, he’s been let loose on Yue’s guitars? THE Yue’s actual instruments?!”
Sett burst out laughing. “Kid’s living the dream already.”
“Not a dream,” Kayn groaned, grabbing his guitar protectively. “A nightmare. This is my baby. He drools on that, I’m done.” Aphelios’s pen scratched quickly across his notebook, then he held it up for everyone to see: Better than you do. Kayn sputtered. “EXCUSE me?!”
Sett nearly fell off the couch, laughing. “Oh my god, Aphe just roasted you with one line. Legendary.” Ezreal clutched his head dramatically. “This household is chaos. Actual chaos. How is this our life?” Meanwhile, Yuji plopped down happily on the floor, toy car in one hand, Kayn’s pick clenched triumphantly in the other.

By the time evening rolled around, the apartment looked halfway safer, cords tied, sharp objects moved, Kayn sulking over his “sacrificed vibe.” Yuji was finally slowing down, curls damp with sweat from a day of running circles around six rockstars. He curled up against Yone’s chest, thumb in his mouth, eyelids drooping. For the first time all day, the apartment fell quiet. Sett leaned back, arms crossed. “Not gonna lie… this might be kinda fun.” Ezreal groaned. “Fun? I’m losing years off my life expectancy.” Aphelios wrote something down, tore out the page, and slid it across the table. Three neat words in his handwriting: He laughed today. Sett smiled softly, tucking the note in his pocket. Kayn rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth betrayed a grin. “Yeah, whatever. Just wait until he says I’m his favorite.” From Yone’s shoulder, half-asleep, Yuji mumbled, “Big.” Sett threw both arms in the air, victorious. “Still the champ!”

Chapter Text

The Heartsteel apartment was quieter than it had been all day. Yuji had finally surrendered to sleep, small head tucked under Yone’s chin, one fist curled tight around the corner of his stuffed toy. The storm of babyproofing, arguments, and laughter had left the living room scattered with half-finished projects, outlet covers half-screwed in, Ezreal’s entire “aesthetic pile” relocated in defeat to the highest shelf, Sett’s toolbox still open on the table. For a long while, no one spoke. The only sound was the hum of the fridge in the kitchen, the occasional creak of the floorboards, and Yuji’s soft, steady breathing.
It was Ezreal who broke first. He leaned forward on the couch, eyes wide and restless. “Okay. I cannot do this anymore. We need answers. Actual answers. Yone, you can’t just drop a toddler into our lives and then-” he waved dramatically toward Yuji-“drop a bombshell like ‘oh by the way, his mother is the Yue’ and expect us to just… move on. That’s not how this works.”

Sett folded his arms, nodding. “For once, I agree with Sparkle Boy. Spill, man. How the hell did you even-” He gestured vaguely, like the words were too big. “-get here? Yue, marriage, a whole kid… none of us knew. That’s wild.” K’Sante, calmer but no less intent, added: “We deserve to understand. You’ve trusted us with your son. Trust us with your truth, too.” Yone’s gaze lowered to Yuji, brushing a hand through the child’s hair. For a moment it looked like he wouldn’t answer at all. His face was calm, his movements precise, as if he could will away their questions by focusing only on the small life in his arms.
But Yuji shifted, mumbling in his sleep, and Yone sighed softly. His voice, when it came, was quiet but firm. “You want to know.”
“Yes!” Ezreal blurted instantly. “God, yes. Every detail. From the beginning. Start with, how did you even meet Yue?!” Kayn, who had been slouched in the corner pretending not to care, suddenly leaned forward too. “Yeah. You can’t just say you’re married to the biggest Metal icon alive and then not tell us the story. That’s, like, illegal.” Sett smirked. “Better be a good story, bro. Don’t tell me you just swiped right or something.” Even Aphelios, usually silent, had set his notebook aside and was watching Yone closely, the pen resting idle in his hand.
All eyes turned to him. Yone shifted slightly, adjusting his son in his arms, and for the first time since Yuji’s arrival there was a flicker, just the faintest hint of hesitation across his usually unshakable expression. “My path to Yue,” he began slowly, “was not simple. It was not… expected. Nor was it ever something I sought.” Ezreal leaned forward so far he nearly toppled off the couch. “Go on.” Yone’s eyes swept the room, measuring each of them. “If I am to tell you,” he said at last, “you must listen. Truly listen. And you must understand, Yue is more than what you see on stage. She is not simply a star. She is…” He trailed off, searching for a word. His hand rested lightly on Yuji’s back. “…She is the one who chose me, when I did not believe I could be chosen.”
The room stilled. K’Sante gave a single, steady nod. “We are listening.”

Yone let the silence hang for a long breath, his thumb absently smoothing over the soft curls at Yuji’s temple. Finally, he said, “It was five years ago. Just after Heartsteel was formed.”
Ezreal practically jumped in his seat. “FIVE years ago?!” His voice cracked like glass. “You’ve been hiding this for five entire years?!”
Yone ignored the outburst, eyes steady. “At that time, I was tired. Frustrated. Everything was noise, the schedules, the cameras, the endless questions. Kayn decided I needed… distraction.” All heads swiveled toward Kayn.
Kayn raised both hands defensively. “Hey, don’t look at me like that. It’s true. He was acting like a seventy-year-old grandpa stuck in a twenty-something body. I just said, ‘Bro, get off your meditation mat for once and live a little. Come to a concert with me.’” Sett barked a laugh. “You? You dragged Yone to a concert?”
“Yeah,” Kayn shot back. “And not just any concert. A Black Roses concert. Sold out, massive crowd, screaming fans, perfect chaos. I knew he’d hate it.” Ezreal gasped, hand flying to his chest. “You brought Yone to BLACK ROSES?! To Yue’s concert?! Do you understand the historical significance of what you just said?” K’Sante’s deep voice cut through. “Let him finish.” Yone inclined his head in thanks, then continued. “I remember the noise. The lights. I thought it would be unbearable. But then-” his voice softened, almost reluctant, “-then she walked on stage. Yue.” For a moment he stopped, as if simply recalling the memory was enough to quiet the room. Even Aphelios looked transfixed, pen forgotten in his fingers. “She did not look at me. Of course not. She looked at no one. She carried herself as though the stage itself bent around her. The crowd was thunder, yet she was… calm flame. Unshaken. I had never seen such presence.” Ezreal’s jaw dropped. “Oh my god. Yone was starstruck. You-YOU-were starstruck.” Sett leaned forward, grinning wide. “So what happened? Did you sneak backstage or something?” Yone shook his head. Yone’s gaze grew distant, as though he were sifting carefully through memories.
“After the concert ended,” he said slowly, “I intended to leave quickly. Crowds are… not to my liking. But Kayn wanted to linger. He disappeared to chase merchandise. I-” he cleared his throat lightly, “-I only wished for quiet. So I searched for the restroom.”

Kayn snorted immediately. “Oh yeah, I remember! I was elbow-deep in some merch stand line, and Grandpa Yone was sulking about people bumping into him.” Yone ignored him. “The hallway was dim. Too many doors. I turned a corner too sharply and… collided with someone.” He paused. Ezreal leaned forward, eyes wide. “Wait. Don’t tell me-” Yone inclined his head, calm as ever. “It was her. Yue.” Sett nearly choked on his drink. “You ran into her? Like-literally ran into her?”
“I did.” Yone’s tone didn’t waver, but there was the faintest twitch of embarrassment around his mouth. “She was not pleased.” That set the room off. Kayn slapped his knee, laughing so hard he wheezed. “Bro! You knocked over the Yue? No wonder you never told us. That’s the most un-Yone thing I’ve ever heard.” Ezreal clutched his hair like it was the scandal of the century. “Oh my god, she probably thought you were some crazed fan sneaking around backstage! Tell me she screamed.” Yone’s brows knit faintly. “She did not scream. She… glared.” Aphelios’ pen scratched across his notebook. He lifted it for the others to see: Legendary entrance. Sett howled with laughter. “Yeah, forget roses and love songs, our boy introduced himself by body-checking his future wife into a wall.”

Yone’s voice was quiet but steady, every word measured. “I apologized at once. She had nearly dropped the drink in her hand. I bowed my head and said it was my mistake. I expected her to walk away.” He paused, eyes distant as though seeing that hallway again. “But she did not.” Ezreal gripped the couch cushions like he was watching a drama. “Don’t tell me she actually… talked to you?”
“She did,” Yone confirmed. “Her voice was calm. Lower than I expected. She asked why I looked so troubled when the concert had just ended. I told her… the crowd was overwhelming.” Sett let out a low whistle. “You, brooding in a hallway after a world-shaking show, and she just… started a conversation with you? That’s insane.” Kayn leaned forward with a grin. “Bet she liked the mystery vibe. Tall guy in a hoodie, looking all dark and poetic? C’mon, that’s bait for any rockstar.”
Yone ignored him, though the corners of his mouth twitched faintly. “We spoke only briefly. I said I respected her performance. She studied me-too closely. It felt as though she saw through me, as though she knew I was not merely another man in the crowd. And then-”
He brushed a hand across Yuji’s hair, his gaze softening. “-she smiled. Not the smile she wears for cameras. Something smaller. Quieter. I realized then… she was curious about me.” Ezreal let out an actual squeal, slapping Sett on the arm. “SHE made the first move! She was interested first! Oh my god, this is better than any fanfiction.”
Sett grinned wide. “So what, did she ask for your number right there in the bathroom hall?”
“Not directly,” Yone said. His voice was even, but his eyes betrayed a faint glimmer. “She asked my name. And when I gave it, she repeated it as though testing the sound. Then her manager appeared and pulled her away. But before she left, she looked back once more.” K’Sante leaned forward, thoughtful. “She wanted to see you again.”
“Yes,” Yone said simply. “And… she did.”

Yone’s hand rested still against Yuji’s back as he continued. “A week passed. I thought perhaps it had been only a fleeting moment. Then an email arrived.” Ezreal’s head shot up. “Wait, AN EMAIL? From her?!” Yone inclined his head. “Yes. Sent to Heartsteel’s public contact account. Addressed to the band. She wrote that she wished to speak with me.”
Sett blinked, slack-jawed. “You’re telling me Yue,the Yue, slid into the Heartsteel inbox like some fan asking for backstage passes?”
“She did not ‘slide,’” Yone corrected calmly. “Her wording was formal. Respectful. She said she wished to thank me for my words after her performance. And to ask… if I might allow her a conversation without stage lights between us.” The room erupted. Ezreal clutched at his chest. “That is the most romantic, dramatic thing I have ever heard. Forget lyrics, someone tattoo that entire sentence on me.” Kayn groaned loudly, dragging a pillow over his face. “Oh my god. She literally emailed our band like a fangirl. You realize how cursed this is, right? I live in that inbox. Do you know the amount of garbage that comes through there?!” Yone’s gaze shifted toward him. “Indeed. But that day, you did not check it. I did.” Kayn sat up, scandalized. “Wait. Hold on. You’re saying if I had opened the inbox first, I would have seen Yue’s email before you?”
“Yes.” Sett nearly fell off the couch laughing. “Bro, Kayn could’ve accidentally deleted the message of destiny. Imagine the alternate timeline.” Ezreal pointed dramatically at Yone. “So you answered her. You had to. Tell me you answered her!”
“I did,” Yone said simply. His voice remained calm, but there was the faintest warmth under the words. “I wrote that if she wished to speak, she could meet me privately, away from her entourage. I expected she would not come.”
He glanced down at Yuji, a small ghost of a smile touching his lips. “She came.”

Yone’s voice stayed even, but his eyes were distant, caught on the memory. “We arranged to meet in the city. Not in a restaurant. Not backstage. I suggested a quiet tea house.”
Ezreal nearly screamed. “Of COURSE you suggested a tea house. You’re so predictable, Yone!” Sett elbowed him. “Shut up, let him finish. This is like a Netflix drama.” Yone ignored them both. “I arrived early. I thought perhaps she would cancel. Perhaps her manager would forbid it. But she came. No makeup. No stage clothes. Just herself.”
For the first time since beginning his story, his lips curved faintly, almost imperceptibly.
“She sat across from me and ordered tea she did not drink. She asked why I had spoken to her so plainly that night. Why I had not asked for an autograph. Or a photograph. Or anything.”
“And what did you say?” K’Sante asked, his voice calm but leaning forward with interest.
Yone’s gaze lowered briefly. “I told her… she did not need to give me anything. That her music had already spoken for her. And that was enough.” A heavy pause filled the apartment. Ezreal slapped both hands over his mouth, muffling a shriek. “HE’S SMOOTH. HE’S TOO SMOOTH.” Kayn groaned into the pillow again. “Oh my god. This is disgusting. I’m gonna throw up. He’s out here playing the mysterious stoic card and somehow bagged the biggest metal goddess alive.” Sett leaned forward, grinning wide. “So what happened? She just melted on the spot?” Yone’s tone remained steady. “She laughed. Not politely. Truly laughed. And then she told me… she had been waiting a long time for someone who would speak to her without fear.” Even Aphelios, quiet at the table, lifted his pen and wrote a single word before sliding it toward Sett. Hooked. Sett chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, she was done for.” Yone’s eyes softened again, a faraway warmth slipping through. “That was the beginning. From then on… she sought me, and I did not turn away.”

Sett leaned forward, eyes glittering. “Be honest, bro. Were you already head over heels that night in the tea house? Like-bam-love at first sight?” Ezreal clasped his hands together dramatically. “He totally was. Look at him, he’s glowing just remembering it!” But Yone shook his head. Calm. Certain. “No. Not then.” The room fell quiet for a beat, the answer so simple it caught them off guard. K’Sante arched a brow. “No?”
“She was… kind,” Yone explained. “And curious. That was all I thought. She was interesting to speak with. Different from what I expected. But love?” He shook his head again, deliberate. “Love does not come so quickly to me.” Ezreal flopped back into the cushions with a groan. “Of course. Mr. Stone-Heart over here. Yue herself could be sitting in front of you and you’re just like ‘hm, pleasant conversation.’ Unreal.” Kayn snorted. “Classic Yone. Takes him ten years to admit anything.”
Yone’s gaze didn’t waver. “It was not love. It was… a beginning.” Aphelios scribbled neatly and slid his notebook across the table again. Two words in bold ink: Slow burn. Sett barked a laugh. “Yep. That tracks.” Yone continued, his voice steady but softer now, as though tracing something delicate. “After that day, we met again. Once, then again. Always in quiet places. A bookstore. A garden. Simple corners of the city where she could be unseen. She liked to ask questions, too many questions. About my discipline. My music. My silence. She said she had never met someone who did not want her fame, her spotlight. She said I looked at her as though she was only… Yue.”
His eyes lowered briefly to Yuji, still sleeping, before he added, “That seemed to matter to her.” Ezreal rolled onto his side, wide-eyed. “Wait, wait, so she chased you? Yue was the one asking to meet, Yue was the one sending the emails, Yue was the one dragging you out into the city?”
“Yes,” Yone replied simply. Kayn let out a sharp laugh. “Oh my god. She actually pursued you. I don’t know whether to be impressed or offended on behalf of humanity.” Yone let the noise wash over him, his calm never cracking. “It was slow. We spoke often. She was patient with my silence. I was patient with her fire. Over time… the silence between us grew comfortable.”

Ezreal sat up again, throwing his arms in the air. “Okay, stop. I don’t get it. How were you not completely in love with her right away? She’s Yue. THE Yue. Every other human on earth would’ve been drooling at her feet.”
Sett nodded, unusually serious. “Yeah, I mean… be real, man. You’re saying you hung out with her in secret cafés and bookstores, and you didn’t fall head over heels instantly? That’s not human.” Even K’Sante, calm as always, leaned forward slightly. “You found her interesting. You respected her. You say she was patient with you. That sounds like the beginning of affection. Why deny it?”
Yone’s gaze stayed steady, his hand gently brushing over Yuji’s back. “Because what I felt then was not love. It was… curiosity. Respect. Peace. She was not the goddess on stage when we met. She was a person. And I did not wish to confuse admiration with something greater.” Ezreal squinted. “That’s… infuriatingly rational.” Kayn finally chimed in, his voice sharper than usual. “Okay, fine. Maybe you were slow about it. But riddle me this, Yone, if it wasn’t even dating yet, why the hell didn’t you say anything to us? We were living together. You could’ve just gone, ‘Hey, guys, I’ve been hanging out with Yue, the most famous woman alive, no big deal.’ Instead you went full monk silence.” The others murmured in agreement, even Aphelios raising a brow as though seconding the question without words.
Yone looked at them each in turn, calm but firm. “Because it was hers to protect. Not mine. Her world is full of eyes, of cameras, of those who would twist every step into scandal. She asked me for quiet. I gave it. Until we were certain of what we were… there was nothing to tell.” A pause stretched across the room. Even Ezreal, who always had something dramatic to add, fell silent at that.
Finally, K’Sante nodded slowly. “That… I can respect.” Sett leaned back, folding his arms with a low whistle. “So you were basically her secret safe space.” “Yes,” Yone said simply. “And in return… she became mine.”

“In the beginning, it was only conversation. We met where she could rest her voice, where no one asked for photographs. She told me stories of her tours, of the weight of expectation. I told her… little. Only enough to show her she was heard. She said I was difficult to read.” Ezreal snorted, throwing a hand up. “Shocker.” But Yone continued, unbothered. “Over time, the places changed. A bookstore became a walk by the river. A tea house became dinner in a hidden corner of the city. She would ask me to stay longer. To share more. Slowly, I began to.” Sett leaned forward, grin wide. “So basically… you started dating without calling it dating.”
“Yes,” Yone said simply. “It was not declared. But it was understood. When she asked me one evening if she might hold my hand… I understood then what it had become.”
Ezreal slapped both hands over his face and let out a muffled scream. “SHE asked to hold his hand?! I’m losing my mind.” Kayn groaned. “Of course she did. No way he would’ve made a move first. We’d still be waiting five years later.” Aphelios’ pen scratched quickly across his notebook. He held it up: Predictable.
Sett laughed. “Man, Aphe’s roasting you harder than Kayn.” But Yone’s expression softened, untouched by their teasing. His gaze dipped to Yuji’s small form resting peacefully against him. “From that night on, it was clear. We were no longer two strangers who happened to meet. We were… something more.”
K’Sante’s deep voice cut in quietly. “You began as equals.”
“Yes,” Yone answered. “Not fan and idol. Not star and shadow. Only two people, choosing each other.” Yone adjusted Yuji carefully, as if the weight of memory sat in his arms just as much as the child did. “After that evening, our meetings were no longer uncertain. She would ask when I was free. I would ask where she wished to go. It was… simple. Quiet. She laughed when I brought her to the same tea house again, and said I was a creature of habit. I laughed when she tried to teach me how to sneak past her fans without being recognized.” Ezreal gaped. “Wait, wait, you laughed? Like, out loud?”
“Yes,” Yone said evenly. Sett snorted. “Bro, I can’t even picture that.” But Yone continued, his voice unshaken. “She would speak of the world she carried on her shoulders. I listened. I would tell her of my discipline, my music, my family. She listened. When our hands touched again, it was not by request. It was natural.”
K’Sante tilted his head. “And when did you know it was no longer casual?” Yone paused, his gaze lowering briefly to Yuji’s sleeping face. “…The night she asked me if she could cook for me.” Kayn blinked. “…Wait. That’s it? Cooking?”
“Yes,” Yone said. His tone softened, faint amusement under the surface. “She said no one believed she could. That she wanted to prove herself. She burned half the food. I ate it all.” Ezreal groaned into a cushion. “That’s so disgustingly domestic, I can’t-ugh. She probably loved you even more for that.”
“She smiled as though she did,” Yone admitted quietly. “After that night, there was no question. We were together. Not as fan and artist. Not as secret meetings. As partners.”
A long silence settled, broken only by Aphelios scribbling two neat words and sliding the notebook toward Sett. It was love.
Sett read it aloud and grinned. “Yeah. It was love.” Yone inclined his head, calm but resolute. “Yes. By then, it was.”

Ezreal suddenly sat upright, pointing at Yone like he was about to interrogate a suspect.
“Okay, hold on. Important detail. Who kissed who first?” Sett whistled low. “Yeah, bro, spill it. We gotta know who made the move.” Even Kayn leaned forward, eyes glinting. “I bet it was her. Yue doesn’t play games. She probably just grabbed you.” Aphelios’ pen scratched quickly across his notebook. He turned it around: Not Yone.vThat set the room off laughing. But Yone didn’t flinch. His voice was calm, measured as always. “It was her.”
The apartment exploded. Ezreal shrieked into his hands. “I KNEW IT! SHE KISSED HIM FIRST!” Kayn threw his head back, laughing. “Oh my god, of course. There is no universe where Yone makes the first move. You’d meditate on it for six years.” Sett leaned back, grinning. “So what, she just leaned across the table mid-dinner and stole one?” Yone’s expression softened slightly, eyes lowering as though he could see the moment again. “No. We were walking after one of her shows. She wore a hood so no one would see her. We stopped by the river. She asked me why I always walked her back. I said, because I wanted to be sure she was safe. She smiled.”
He paused, his thumb brushing lightly over Yuji’s hair. “…And then she kissed me.” K’Sante’s deep voice rumbled with approval. “Direct. Honest. That sounds like her.”
Ezreal melted dramatically against the cushions. “I can’t take this. She’s a legend on stage and a legend off it. Yue literally speedran romance with the most stoic man alive.” Kayn snorted. “Speedran? Took ‘em months to even hold hands. That’s the slowest run I’ve ever seen.” Yone ignored their noise, his voice steady. “It was not rushed. It was not careless. It was… right.”

“Okay, okay,” Ezreal said, bouncing on the couch like he was physically unable to sit still. “You can’t stop there. What was it like? Dating her. Tell us everything.” Sett smirked, chin propped on his hand. “Yeah, man. C’mon. You’re holding out. We want the good stuff.”
Kayn leaned forward with a wicked grin. “Spare us the monk answers, Yone. Did you actually take her on dates, or did she have to do all the work?” Even Aphelios lifted his pen, wrote Details, and slid it across the table for emphasis. Yone’s eyes flicked from one to the other, unbothered by their noise but clearly unmoved. “There are things that are not yours to know.” The room erupted in groans.
Ezreal flopped face-first into the cushions. “UGH, he’s doing the mysterious wall thing again!” Sett threw up his hands. “Bro, we’re your family. We’re literally living with your son. You can’t just blue-ball us on the story of the century.” K’Sante’s deep, steady voice cut through, quieter but insistent. “They’re not asking for scandal. Only for understanding. You keep much of yourself hidden, Yone. But this-” he gestured toward Yuji in Yone’s arms-“this is already part of us. If you do not share, how can we help carry it?” That gave the room a sudden stillness. Yone exhaled slowly, his gaze lowering to Yuji’s sleeping face. His thumb brushed across his son’s soft hair, the smallest sign of hesitation. “…You ask for more than I wished to tell.” Ezreal peeked up hopefully. “But you’re gonna tell us, right?”

Another silence, and then Yone inclined his head ever so slightly. “Yes. But understand, what I share, you will keep. It is not for gossip. It is not for stage talk. It is for this room only.”
All around him, the band nodded eagerly, except Kayn, who muttered, “I’m still posting it on my Finsta.” Sett smacked him with a pillow.
Yone ignored them, his voice calm but weighted now, as though every word was chosen carefully. “Then I will tell you more… of what it was to be with her.”

Yone’s voice was low, but steady, each word like a thread he pulled carefully from memory.
“She wanted a life that was hers. Away from cameras. Away from the stage. When she was with me, she was not Yue the star, only Yue.”
Sett leaned forward, hooked. “So what did you two do? Like… actual dates?”
“Yes,” Yone said. “But not the kind you imagine. We would walk at night, when no one watched. She liked the quiet markets that opened before dawn. We once spent hours in a corner store debating which instant noodles were best.” Ezreal clapped a hand over his mouth. “That’s… so normal. Yue, international icon, arguing about ramen flavors. I can’t.”
“She laughed often,” Yone continued. “She told me she had not laughed that freely in years. Once, she asked me to take her somewhere no one would recognize her. I took her to the temple gardens I used to visit as a boy. She said it was the first time in a long while that she could breathe.” K’Sante’s deep voice rumbled softly. “You gave her peace.”
Yone inclined his head. “…She gave me the same. When the band was new, when chaos was constant, she was… my stillness. We cooked together. Badly. She teased me for my seriousness. I teased her for burning rice.”
Ezreal flailed dramatically. “She BURNED RICE? Yue?!”
“Twice,” Yone said simply.
Kayn burst out laughing. “Oh my god. That’s the most humanizing thing I’ve ever heard.”
Even Aphelios’ lips curved faintly before he bent to write in his notebook. He slid it across to Sett, who read aloud: Normal love. Yone’s gaze softened as he looked down at Yuji. “Yes. That is what it became. Normal. Not spotlight, not stage. Only us. Only life, as it should be.”

“In time, she said she wished for me to see more of her world. Not only the quiet corners she carved out for herself. She invited me to meet her band.” Ezreal sat bolt upright, his jaw nearly unhinged. “WAIT. You’re telling me you met Black Roses? As in LeBlanc, Lissandra, Elise, those Black Roses?!” Sett gawked. “Bro, they’re, like, the scariest band alive. And you just strolled in there?” Kayn grinned wickedly. “I bet they hated you instantly. They don’t exactly scream ‘friendly dinner party.’”
Yone’s expression didn’t flicker. “It was… tense. They are protective of her. Fiercely so. They looked at me and saw a man who could be a weakness.” K’Sante folded his arms, thoughtful. “Did you feel unwelcome?”
“Yes,” Yone admitted. “At first. They tested me with words. Sharp words. Lissandra asked if I knew what it meant to be with a woman whose shadow covered the world. Elise smiled, but not kindly. LeBlanc asked if I would break as easily as the rest.” Ezreal let out a strangled noise. “That’s terrifying.”
Sett whistled low. “And what did you do?”
“I told them the truth,” Yone said calmly. “That I had no desire for her fame. No need for her stage. Only for the woman who laughed when she burned rice. They did not believe me. Not then. But Yue… she stood at my side. She told them she trusted me. That was enough, for her, and in time, for them.” The band fell quiet for a moment, the weight of that image hanging between them. Finally, Aphelios scrawled across his notebook and tilted it up for everyone to see: She chose you publicly.
Yone inclined his head. “Yes. And from that day, their eyes on me grew less sharp. They saw that I would not leave.” Ezreal threw his hands up. “Okay, that’s it, I’m dead. You met Black Roses and survived. Yue literally introduced you like, ‘Hey, this is my man, deal with it.’ That’s… that’s insane.” Kayn leaned back, smirking. “And here we are, years later, babysitting your kid. Life’s wild.”

Ezreal suddenly narrowed his eyes, suspicion lighting up his face. “Wait a second. You’re telling us all this, but you just… skipped the biggest part! You’re literally married. When did that even happen?!” Sett snapped his fingers. “Yeah! Good point. We never saw a wedding. No tux, no cake, no nothing. Don’t tell me you just-” he waved vaguely “-did it off screen.”
Kayn leaned forward with a sharp grin. “Hold up. I knew something was fishy that one weekend you vanished. You remember? Couple years back? You said you had… ‘business.’ Bro, was that it?” Yone adjusted Yuji in his arms, the faintest shadow of a smile crossing his lips. “…Yes.” The apartment erupted. Ezreal practically screamed. “YOU GOT MARRIED ON A RANDOM WEEKEND AND DIDN’T TELL US?!” Sett clutched his head like the betrayal was physical. “Bro, we’re your brothers. You didn’t even send us a text?!”
Even Aphelios looked up from his notebook, eyes wide with disbelief. K’Sante’s voice, calm but firm, cut through. “Tell us properly, Yone. When was it?” Yone’s gaze softened, faraway. “Three and a half years ago. The band had no shows that weekend. I left quietly. We stood in a small hall, only a handful of witnesses. No cameras. No stage. She wore no jewels, only white. I wore black. We spoke vows that belonged only to us.” Ezreal covered his mouth, eyes shining. “That’s so unfairly romantic.” Sett groaned. “And you just came back on Monday like nothing happened?!”
“Yes.” Yone’s answer was simple, final. “Because it was not for the world. It was for us.” Aphelios finally put pen to paper, sliding it across the table to Sett. Sacred silence.
Sett read it out loud, then shook his head with a crooked grin. “Man… you really did keep it locked tight.” Kayn flopped back on the couch with a dramatic groan. “So while we were all eating takeout and playing games, you were out there getting married. Unreal.” Yone’s calm gaze lowered to Yuji. “…Yes. And not long after, he came to us.” The room went utterly still.

“Wait,if you’re married… where’s the ring?!”
Sett snapped his fingers. “Ohhh, good catch. Yeah, bro, where’s the bling? Don’t tell me you cheaped out.” Kayn leaned forward with a wicked grin. “Nah, he probably keeps it hidden in some monk pouch or whatever. He’s all secretive like that.” Even Aphelios tilted his head, pen poised, waiting for the answer.
Yone’s gaze remained calm. He lifted his free hand, the one not holding Yuji, showing a plain silver ring around his ring finger. It was so subtle, so unadorned, that none of them had ever noticed it before. The band erupted.
Ezreal shrieked. “NO WAY. That’s been there this whole time?!” Sett barked a laugh. “You sneaky bastard! I thought that was just some boring accessory.” Kayn slapped his forehead. “Bro… I literally roasted you for being boring with your jewelry once, and it was your wedding ring?!” Yone inclined his head, unbothered. “Yes.” K’Sante leaned closer, studying it with quiet respect. “Simple. Strong. Fitting.” Ezreal practically fell off the couch. “You mean we’ve been doing photo shoots, promo videos, interviews, all while you’ve been wearing your marriage ring in plain sight, and no one noticed?!” Yone’s mouth curved faintly at that. “…It was not hidden. You simply did not see.” Sett grinned wide, shaking his head. “Damn. That’s cold. He had it right in front of us for years.” Yone’s hand brushed lightly over Yuji’s hair. “The ring is not for the world. It is for her. And for me.”

Sett leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Okay, okay. So marriage happened. But what about him?” He nodded toward the toddler curled against Yone’s chest. “How did Yuji happen?” Ezreal’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Yeah, spill, Dad. Did you two just… decide one day?” Yone’s gaze softened, his thumb brushing lightly over Yuji’s small hand. “It was Yue’s wish. She told me she had always wanted a child. But she had never found the man she could trust with such a life. Until me.” The room went still for a beat at the weight of that. Even Kayn didn’t have a snarky reply ready. Then Sett grinned wide. “So wait. You’re saying you actually waited until after the wedding? That’s… kinda old-school, man.”
Ezreal gasped dramatically, clutching his chest. “Yone! Mister Stoic! You mean to tell me you two didn’t even-” he wiggled his eyebrows, “until marriage?” Kayn nearly fell off the couch laughing. “Bro, that’s the most ancient, dusty, traditional thing I’ve ever heard. You’re like, what, a thousand years old?”
Even Aphelios raised a brow, pen scratching across the page. He pushed it toward Yone: Old-fashioned. Yone’s calm expression finally cracked, the faintest line of irritation at the corner of his mouth. “…I am not so old-fashioned.” Ezreal snickered, leaning over the back of the couch. “Suuuure. And let me guess, Yuji was born exactly nine months later?” Sett whooped. “Oh my god, he totally was! You really did it classic style, huh? Wedding night, boom, kid on the way.”
Yone closed his eyes briefly, exhaling as if willing patience into existence. “…It is true, he was likely conceived on that night. But that does not mean-” He opened his eyes again, gaze flat. “-that I am ancient in my ways.”
Kayn cackled so hard he had to wipe his eyes. “Bro, you’re literally the definition of ancient. Yue marries you and instantly becomes a mom-straight out of a medieval ballad.”

“…If I were truly as ancient as you claim, Yue would never have chosen me.” That shut them up for half a second. Yone’s hand rested lightly on Yuji’s back as he continued, steady and unshaken. “She is… demanding. She does not waste her time with men who cannot keep her interest. If I had been a statue, she would have walked away.” Sett let out a low whistle. “Oooh, okay. That’s a clapback. I felt that.”
Ezreal blinked, then threw his hands up. “Wait-are you saying Yue’s, like… the type to demand everything?” Yone’s gaze flicked to him, calm but certain. “Yes. She expects honesty. Strength. Patience. And fire to match her own. She would not have married me otherwise.” Kayn burst out laughing again, clutching his stomach. “So basically, you’re saying she put you through the ultimate trial by fire before making it official.” Even Aphelios smirked faintly before writing a single word in his notebook: Tested. K’Sante gave a slow, approving nod. “And you passed.” “Yes,” Yone said simply. His gaze softened then, dipping to Yuji. “And now… we are here.” Ezreal flopped back against the cushions with a groan. “Ugh, I can’t decide if this is the most romantic or the most unfair thing I’ve ever heard. You marry Yue, get the cutest kid alive, and somehow manage to keep it secret for years. How?” Yone let the silence stretch a moment before answering, his voice low, measured. “Because it was not meant for the world. Our vows were not a performance. They were ours alone. Yue asked me for one promise above all others, that I would protect what we had from those who would twist it into spectacle.”
Sett frowned slightly. “Spectacle… you mean tabloids. Media. Fans.”
“Yes.” Yone’s tone didn’t waver. “She lives under a thousand eyes every moment she steps on stage. They want to own her story. To claim her life. But this-” He shifted Yuji carefully in his arms. “-this was not theirs to take. It was ours to guard.” Ezreal’s mouth fell open, his dramatic energy faltering into something softer. “…So you didn’t tell us because you were protecting her?”
“And him,” Yone said quietly. “Yuji did not ask to be born into her world, or mine. He deserves peace until he chooses otherwise.” K’Sante nodded, steady as ever. “That is something I can respect.” Sett let out a breath, leaning back. “Damn. Okay. I was ready to roast you for ghosting us that weekend, but… can’t even be mad anymore.” Ezreal’s eyes shimmered with something halfway between awe and heartbreak. “It’s just so… ugh. Romantic. Noble. You’re like, married to Yue, raising a kid, living in some secret fairytale, while we’re over here tripping over guitar picks.” Kayn threw a pillow at him. “Cry louder, Ez. Maybe Yone’ll write you a love ballad too.” But Yone didn’t rise to the noise. He only looked down at Yuji again, a rare softness on his face.

“It was the Paranoia Tour,” he said. “One month. Only a month after our wedding. I left with Heartsteel. We crossed stages, cities, endless nights of noise…” He paused, eyes distant. “When it ended, I went home. I thought she would greet me with the usual, questions, laughter, perhaps complaints that I had been gone too long.” His thumb brushed gently over Yuji’s small curls. “…Instead, she sat me down. She looked at me as though the words weighed more than she could carry alone. And then she told me.” The room was still, waiting. “She was with child. Our child.”
His voice softened even further. “In that moment, I could not speak. I only wept. I had thought myself steady, unshaken… but the truth broke me open. It was the happiest day of my life.” For once, even Ezreal had no quip ready. He swallowed hard, blinking fast. Sett rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away like he didn’t want to admit he was moved. K’Sante nodded once, slow and solemn.
Kayn broke the silence at last, though his tone was quieter than usual. “So… you came back from tour and she gave you the biggest news of your life. Damn.” Yone’s gaze rested on Yuji, sleeping soundly against him. “…Yes. And from that moment on, nothing else mattered more.”

Sett rubbed at the back of his neck, leaning forward. “Okay, but… how was that, man? Like, your wife’s at home, pregnant, and you’re out here with us all the time. That had to be rough.” Ezreal nodded quickly, eyes wide. “Yeah! I mean, Yue’s literally Yue, but even she’s human. Pregnancy’s huge. And you weren’t even there most of the time?”
Kayn tilted his head, smirking faintly. “Bet you felt guilty as hell.” Yone’s gaze dropped to Yuji, his thumb brushing slowly across the boy’s tiny hand. His voice came low, steady, but laced with something heavier.
“It was… difficult. Every day away, I thought of her. I imagined her carrying what we had created, alone. I wanted to be at her side for every moment. But Heartsteel had contracts. Stages. I could not abandon you either.”
K’Sante’s voice rumbled, firm but understanding. “Two duties. Both unyielding.”
“Yes,” Yone agreed quietly. “I lived between them. On stage, I carried the weight of performance. Off stage, I carried the fear of missing what mattered most.” Ezreal’s dramatic tone softened, almost a whisper. “…Did she ever resent you? For not being there?”
Yone shook his head once. “No. She said she understood. That music was also part of me. But I saw her eyes. She was strong… but she was lonely. And I hated that I caused it.”
Sett blew out a low breath, shaking his head. “Man… you kept all of that locked up. And we never knew.” Yone’s voice shifted, a touch of relief under the gravity. “I was grateful she was not truly alone. Black Roses were with her. They guarded her more fiercely than I could, in those months.” Ezreal leaned forward, eyes wide. “So she had her whole band watching her back while she was pregnant? That’s… kinda badass, actually.” Sett chuckled. “Yeah, those three are scary enough. Nobody’s messing with Yue while she’s got them in her corner.” Yone inclined his head. “Yes. They kept her safe. But there was a moment, at an event, early on. Cameras everywhere. Champagne passed around. She refused her glass.” Ezreal gasped, clutching his chest. “Oh no. Ohhh no. Did people notice?!”
“They nearly did,” Yone said. “LeBlanc covered her hand with her own, drew attention to herself instead. Elise laughed loudly to distract. Lissandra gave some cutting remark that silenced the questions. Together, they shielded her. But Yue told me afterward… her heart had pounded as though the world already knew.” K’Sante nodded, expression steady. “A close call.” Sett grinned. “Man, the three of them running interference like secret agents. That’s wild.” Kayn smirked, shaking his head. “And meanwhile, you’re out with us on tour, completely clueless.” Yone’s eyes lowered, guilt flickering across his face before smoothing back into calm. “…Yes. I was far away, while she carried everything. And I could only thank the fates that she had them beside her.” Aphelios’ pen scratched softly, before he lifted the notebook with a single neat phrase: Her shield. Yone’s gaze softened at that, his hand brushing across Yuji’s dark curls. “Yes. They were her shield. Until I could return and be it myself.”

Sett cleared his throat, scratching at the back of his neck. “Alright, last question for now. When exactly was Yuji born?” Ezreal leaned in eagerly. “Yeah, c’mon. Give us the official birthday. We need to mark it on the calendar and throw a party!” Even Kayn raised a brow, smirking. “Yeah, gotta know when the little gremlin showed up.” Yone adjusted his son gently, voice calm as ever. “Two and a half years ago. On the twenty-third of March.”
The room went silent. Ezreal blinked once. Then twice. His mouth opened slowly. “…Wait. March twenty-third?” Sett’s eyes widened as he sat upright. “Hold on, that was the day you got that random phone call and bolted, remember? We were in rehearsal, and you just -poof- vanished.” Kayn straightened, eyes narrowing as the memory clicked. “Holy shit. That was that day. You didn’t come back until, like, two days later.” Ezreal pointed at him, his voice pitching high. “You said it was ‘urgent business’ and we didn’t press because you never lie about that stuff. But you weren’t at the studio, you weren’t anywhere we could find you-” K’Sante’s deep voice rumbled, steady but cutting through the chaos. “You were at the hospital.” Yone inclined his head once. “Yes.”
The apartment erupted. Ezreal leapt to his feet, clutching his hair. “OH MY GOD! We knew something was weird that day, and it turns out your wife was literally giving birth?!” Sett laughed so loud it echoed off the walls. “Man, you’ve been carrying this secret like some kind of ninja. Whole time we thought you were dealing with contracts or lawyers or whatever, nope, you were becoming a dad.” Kayn flopped back into the cushions, shaking his head in disbelief. “You sly bastard. You ditched us for diapers.” But Yone’s gaze stayed steady, calm, and unshaken. He looked down at Yuji, sleeping peacefully against him, and for a fleeting second, the corners of his mouth curved into something almost like a smile.
“Yes. And I would do it again.”

Chapter Text

The next morning, sunlight spilled into the apartment, catching on the half-finished babyproofing attempts from before yesterday, wires taped, shelves rearranged, and a suspicious pile of Ezreal’s rhinestones shoved onto the highest cabinet. Yuji was already awake, banging a toy car against the table leg like it was a drum. Sett stretched, cracking his neck, and shot Yone a grin. “Hey, bro. Why don’t you let us handle breakfast today? You’ve been running point since he showed up. We got this.” Ezreal nodded dramatically, tugging down his sunglasses. “Yeah, exactly. Consider this… practice. Babysitting trial run.”
K’Sante inclined his head in agreement. “We should learn to care for him. If we cannot, then we are failing both you and him.” Kayn smirked from the couch. “Besides, how hard can it be? He’s tiny. I can handle tiny.”

Yone glanced at them over the rim of his tea cup. His expression didn’t shift, but the silence stretched just long enough for Ezreal to start fidgeting. Finally, Yone set the cup down.
“You may try,” he said simply. “But if he cries, I will intervene.”
“Deal,” Sett said immediately, rolling up his sleeves. They set Yuji up at the table with a plate of toast, eggs, and a little fruit. For exactly twenty seconds, it looked like success. Then Yuji spotted the jar of honey. His finger shot out. “Honey.”
“Uh oh,” Sett muttered, grinning. “Looks like the kid knows what he wants.” Yone’s calm voice cut through immediately, low but firm. “No honey.” Yuji blinked at him, then pointed again. “Honey!” Ezreal gasped like this was a high-stakes negotiation. “Oh, come on, what’s the harm? A drizzle never killed anyone.”
Yone’s gaze didn’t flicker. “Too sweet. Too sticky. He will make a mess.” Kayn smirked, lounging back in his chair. “Pfft. He’s fine. I can handle him. Watch this.” He pushed the jar closer to Yuji. “Here you go, little man-”
Yuji grabbed the jar with both hands, tried to twist it, and immediately failed. His face scrunched in toddler fury. “Open!” Sett leaned in, puffing up his chest. “Relax, I’ll do it. Uncle Sett’s got you.” He twisted the lid, and nearly dropped the whole jar. Yuji squealed with delight, reaching inside with both fists.
“Sweet!” he crowed, smearing honey across his plate, then directly onto the table. “BRO!” Kayn recoiled as sticky fingers latched onto his sleeve. “I’m under attack!” Ezreal let out a shriek, pointing at his shirt where Yuji had patted him with honey-coated palms. “This is silk! Silk! Do you know how much this cost?!”
Aphelios quietly closed his notebook, scribbled a single word, and slid it across the table: He told you.
Yuji clapped his hands together, spraying droplets across the table. “Sweet!” Yone rose at last, setting his tea aside. His tone was still calm, but sharper now. “Enough.”
“This is why I said no honey.”

The band froze, expecting him to take over. Yuji giggled, smearing another streak of honey across the table. But Yone did not move closer. His gaze swept over them instead.
“You wished to care for him,” he said evenly. “Then you will also clean him.” Four jaws dropped.
“Wait-WHAT?!” Ezreal screeched, holding up his ruined sleeve. “Bro, he’s dripping!” Sett groaned, pointing at Yuji’s shining hands.
“I’m not touching him again,” Kayn muttered, still staring at the sticky mark on his arm.
K’Sante only sighed, already reaching for a fresh cloth. Yone folded his arms, unmoved. “If you cannot manage even this, you cannot claim to be ready.” Yuji slammed his palms down again, sending another honey-slick spray across the table. “Sweet!” he chirped.
Ezreal made a strangled noise. “This is cruel. This is actual torture.” Sett barked out a laugh despite himself. “Guess we’re in it now.”

Ezreal held the damp cloth like it was a cursed artifact. “Okay… okay, don’t panic. Gentle dabs. Like… like skin care.” He reached out, only for Yuji to grab the cloth, twist it, and fling a honey-streak right across Ezreal’s sunglasses.
Ezreal shrieked. “HE BLINDED ME!” Sett was laughing so hard he almost dropped his own towel. “Bro, just wipe his hands, not exfoliate his soul!” He crouched down, determined, and tried to pin one of Yuji’s wrists. “C’mon, champ, hold still-” Yuji wriggled, then slapped both sticky hands against Sett’s hoodie. Sett froze. “…I’ve been slimed again.” Kayn rolled his eyes and snatched another cloth. “You’re doing it wrong. You gotta be firm. Watch.” He leaned in, trying to swipe Yuji’s cheek clean. Yuji responded by grabbing Kayn’s wrist with terrifying toddler strength and smearing honey up his arm. “BRO. He’s weaponized.” Kayn staggered back, flailing. “I’m stuck to him!”
Yuji laughed so hard he hiccupped, squirming in the chair like this was the best game ever. “Sticky!” he declared proudly.

Meanwhile, Aphelios approached silently, cloth in hand. He crouched beside Yuji, waited until the boy’s giggles slowed, and then wiped one small palm with careful, slow movements. Yuji stilled, fascinated. He let Aphelios clean the other hand without protest.
Sett blinked. “…What the-did he just succeed?”
Ezreal tore the honey-stained sunglasses off his face, gaping. “That’s not fair. He doesn’t even talk and the kid listens to him!” Aphelios only wrote a single neat word on his notepad and held it up: Patience. Yone, arms folded, finally inclined his head. “Better.” His tone was calm, but final. “Finish the rest.” The band groaned in unison, but Yuji only leaned back with a sticky grin, clearly enjoying his new game.

They tried again. Kayn gripped Yuji’s wrists, Sett went for his shirt, but Yuji twisted like a greased cat, head-butting Sett in the chin and kicking Kayn in the stomach at the same time. Both stumbled back, honey streaks smeared across them like war paint. Ezreal collapsed into laughter, tears in his eyes. “Oh my god, you two just got destroyed by a two-year-old!”
Yuji clapped, squealing with delight. “Big! Noisy!” Kayn threw his arms up. “That’s it. I quit. I’m retiring. He’s too powerful.” Sett flopped into a chair, wiping honey off his hoodie. “Yeah, I’m out. Someone else can try.”
For the first time, Yone set his cup of tea aside and rose. His gaze swept over the scene, Kayn sulking, Sett sticky, Ezreal howling, Aphelios scribbling, K’Sante unimpressed and then landed on his son. Yuji beamed up at him, still half-coated in honey. Yone crouched beside him, voice steady and soft. “Yuji. Hands.”

Instantly, the toddler offered them up, palms open, waiting. Yone wiped them clean in three smooth motions, then his face, then his shirt, each movement precise and calm. Yuji sat perfectly still, watching his father’s careful hands with wide eyes. Within a minute, he was spotless. The band stared in stunned silence.
Ezreal finally broke it, voice hushed with awe. “…That was sorcery.” Kayn groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “No, that was dad magic. We’re doomed.” Sett pointed at Yuji, still grinning proudly in his chair. “Nah, bro. He’s the one doomed us. We never stood a chance.” Aphelios scribbled one final note and slid it to the middle of the table. Two words in neat ink: Lesson learned. Yone only inclined his head, lifting his tea again. “Perhaps.” Yuji clapped happily, now perfectly clean, and shouted once more: “Sweet!”

---

The table was finally wiped clean, Yuji spotless again, and Yone back at his tea like nothing had happened. The rest of the band looked wrecked, Kayn with honey streaks across his shirt, Sett picking at his hoodie, Ezreal muttering about silk cleaners under his breath. K’Sante broke the silence first. “We failed at cleaning him. But perhaps we can succeed in something simpler.” Ezreal snapped his fingers. “Yes! Playing. Playing is easy. Kids love games. No honey involved.”
Sett brightened. “Right? I mean, how hard can it be to play with a toddler?”
“Yeah,” Kayn muttered, leaning against the couch. “We don’t have to wrestle him into submission this time.” Ezreal turned to Yone, putting on his most charming smile. “So, Dad, permission granted? Can we play with him? Please?”

Yone studied them for a long, unreadable moment. His gaze shifted to Yuji, who was tapping his toy car against the table with quiet focus. Finally, Yone inclined his head. “You may. But understand, play is not simple. If you are careless, he will turn it into chaos.”
“Pfft,” Sett waved a hand. “Bro, it’s play. We can handle that.”

Ezreal grinned, already grabbing a controller. “Perfect. We’ll start him off easy. Video games. Kid’s gonna be a prodigy.” Kayn smirked, tossing another controller onto the couch. “Yeah, exactly. He’ll learn fast. It’s just button-mashing, right?” Yone’s voice drifted from the table, calm but warning. “He is two years old.”
“Even better,” Ezreal shot back. “Fresh reflexes. Untapped potential.” They sat Yuji between them, handed him the controller, which was bigger than his head and hit start. Yuji stared at the flashing screen for three seconds… then started chewing on the joystick. Ezreal shrieked. “No! Not the hardware!” Kayn doubled over laughing. “He’s literally eating your KD ratio.” Sett gently pried the controller away, setting it on the table. “Okay, okay, plan B. Maybe he’s more of a… cards guy.”
He produced a deck with a flourish. “Poker. Classic. Teaches strategy.” Yuji watched intently as Sett dealt cards around the rug. Kayn leaned in. “Bet he’s got a killer poker face.”

Yuji grabbed his tiny hand of cards, squinted at them very seriously… and then immediately bent them in half, tore one down the middle, and hurled the rest across the room with a triumphant squeal. “Fast!” Sett groaned. “No, buddy, that’s not how you play.” Ezreal collapsed sideways. “He’s already better than Kayn.”
“HEY.”
Before the argument could spark, K’Sante calmly brought out a box from the shelf. “Then a board game. Simple rules. Turn-based.”
He unfolded the board across the table. Yuji gasped at the colorful pieces and immediately grabbed a pawn, then threw it across the room with glee. “Fly!” Yuji cheered. Ezreal slumped into the couch, defeated. “We’re doomed. He doesn’t want to play games. He wants to break them.” Aphelios slid his notebook across the rug. Two neat words in ink: Wrong games.

Yuji crawled onto Sett’s lap, giggling, and pressed a hand against Kayn’s cheek. “Play!” he demanded again, smiling wide. Sett sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Yone finally set aside his tea, stood, and crouched beside his son. His voice was calm, but firm. “He is too young for your games. What you offered was for yourselves, not for him.” Ezreal frowned. “Then what does he want?”
“Watch,” Yone said.
He reached for a small box in the corner, brightly painted building blocks Yue had tucked into Yuji’s bag before the tour. Yone placed them carefully on the rug, one by one, stacking them into a neat little tower. Yuji’s eyes went huge. “Big!” he shouted, scrambling closer. Yone added another block on top, making the tower sway. He let it topple with a soft crash. Yuji shrieked with laughter, grabbing the blocks with both hands and trying to build his own crooked tower.
Sett blinked. “...That’s it? Stacking blocks?”
Yuji smashed the tower down again, squealing with glee. “Yes,” Yone said simply. “To him, this is joy.” K’Sante gave a slow, approving nod. “Simple. But it works.” Before they could say more, Yone reached for one of the scattered cloth napkins. He held it over his face, silent for a beat, then pulled it away. “Peek-a-boo.” Yuji gasped like it was real magic. He clapped so hard he nearly tipped over. “Again!” Yone repeated it, this time hiding behind his hands. Yuji dissolved into giggles, falling onto the rug and rolling around with laughter. Ezreal gawked. “That’s… it? He’s losing his mind over hide-and-seek with a napkin?!” Aphelios quietly scribbled two words and slid the notebook across the rug: He is two. Sett laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Man, we were out here teaching him poker. No wonder he wasn’t into it.”
Kayn groaned, flopping onto the couch. “We got wrecked by building blocks and peek-a-boo. This is humiliating.”
But Yuji didn’t care, he scrambled back into Yone’s lap, hugging a block to his chest and babbling, “Play! Again!”
Yone calmly stacked three more pieces, tipped them gently, and let the tower fall again. The boy squealed, rolling on the rug.
Ezreal doubled over laughing. “Yone. Our silent, brooding producer. Playing blocks like a babysitter commercial. I can’t-this is killing me.” Kayn grinned wickedly. “Oh no, no way I’m letting him hog the fun. Move over. Let the professionals show you how it’s done.”
Before Yone could object, Kayn snatched a handful of blocks and started stacking them into a crooked tower. Yuji crawled toward him, eyes shining. Kayn built it higher, higher, until Yuji knocked it over with both fists. “CHAOS!” Kayn shouted dramatically, arms in the air.
Yuji burst out laughing, squealing, “More!”
Sett barked a laugh and grabbed his own pile. “Alright, kid, Uncle Sett’s turn. We’re gonna build the biggest tower ever.” He stacked with exaggerated care, flexing after every block like it was heavy lifting. “Look at that form. Perfect technique.” Yuji immediately belly-flopped onto the rug and knocked the whole thing down. Sett gasped theatrically. “Noooo! My masterpiece!” Yuji squealed with laughter until he hiccupped. Ezreal, not to be outdone, whipped off his rhinestone scarf and draped it over his face. He peeked out from behind it with a flourish. “Peek-a-boo, darling!”
Yuji giggled so hard he nearly toppled sideways. He pulled the scarf right off Ezreal’s face, wrapped himself in it like a cape, and shouted, “Shiny!” Ezreal clutched his chest. “See? The boy has taste.”
Aphelios, silent as ever, picked up a single block. He tapped it on the floor, then held it out. Yuji took it instantly and set it on the table, waiting. Aphelios added a second one beside it. Slowly, without words, they began building a careful little tower together.
Sett blinked, watching. “…Bro. He’s got the quiet game master touch.” Ezreal pouted. “Not fair. Even the baby likes him better.”
Yone watched the whole mess unfold, arms folded, his face unreadable, but there was the faintest hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

Chapter Text

The apartment had finally quieted after a day of chaos. Toys were scattered across the rug, the honey incident had been scrubbed off the table (mostly), and Yuji was perched on Yone’s lap, sleep nowhere in sight. Sett stretched out on the couch with a groan. “Man, we survived breakfast, blocks, and whatever that was with the cards. We deserve something fun tonight.”
Ezreal perked up immediately, swinging his legs off the armrest. “Finally! Something for us. No diapers, no sticky fingers, just Heartsteel vibes.” K’Sante raised a brow, calm as ever. “Fun… but what kind of fun can we have here? We cannot leave the child.”
Ezreal waved a hand. “So? We bring the fun here. It’s not that hard.” Kayn leaned back, smirking. “I mean… karaoke.” Sett’s eyes lit up instantly. “Okay, that I can get behind.” Aphelios looked up from his notebook, wrote one neat word, and slid it across the table: Sing.
Ezreal nodded like the universe had just agreed with him. “See? Even Aphe wants it. Karaoke night in the living room. We got mics, we got speakers, we got style, what else do we need?” K’Sante folded his arms thoughtfully. “Perhaps. But will it disturb Yuji?”
As if on cue, the toddler lifted his head from Yone’s chest. “Sing?” he echoed, eyes bright.
The band erupted. Ezreal clasped his hands dramatically. “Oh my god. He approves! He’s officially the guest of honor.” Sett grinned. “Alright then, it’s settled. Karaoke night. Everyone picks a song.” Kayn smirked. “This is gonna end in disaster.” Yone didn’t answer. He only shifted Yuji in his arms, brushing a hand through the boy’s curls as the band began to argue over who got the first turn. The debate didn’t last long. Ezreal was already on his feet, sunglasses pushed up into his hair, mic in hand. “Obviously, I’ll start. Who else has the range, the charm, the charisma?” He flicked his wrist dramatically at the others. “Sit back, darlings. Witness art.” Sett rolled his eyes. “Here we go.”

The track kicked in, bright synths, catchy beat, the exact kind of pop anthem Ezreal lived for. He spun into the spotlight of the living room like it was a sold-out stadium, belting the lyrics with all the polished sparkle of a true pop idol. Yuji sat upright on Yone’s lap, eyes wide as saucers. When Ezreal twirled at the chorus, the toddler clapped so hard his little palms echoed. “Shiny!” he squealed.
Ezreal beamed, pointing at him mid-note. “See? My number one fan already gets it.”
Kayn groaned, covering his face with a pillow. “This isn’t karaoke, it’s a glitter explosion.”
Sett barked a laugh. “Bro, you sound like you’re auditioning for your own band.”
K’Sante leaned back, unimpressed. “This is not karaoke. This is a performance.” Aphelios scribbled quietly in his notebook and slid it across the table: Self-portrait. Ezreal finished with a dramatic high note, collapsing to one knee with both arms thrown wide. “Thank you, thank you. You’ve been wonderful.”
Yuji squealed, clapping again. “Noisy!” The room howled with laughter. Sett grabbed the mic from Ezreal’s hand. “Alright, Pop Princess, move over. Time for some real singing.”
Ezreal huffed. “Excuse you, that was flawless.”

Sett ignored him, scrolling through the playlist until his grin widened. The music started, slow, dramatic piano chords. Everyone’s eyes narrowed. K’Sante raised a brow. “Sett. What is this?” Sett pressed a hand to his chest, turning toward the table where Aphelios sat quietly with his notebook. “It’s a ballad,” he said with exaggerated sincerity. “A love song. For the one who truly inspires me.”
Aphelios froze, pen hovering over paper. And then Sett began to sing. Loud. Off-key. Absolutely dripping with cheese.
“Aphelios, my star in the night,
With you, every verse feels right.
Your silence is music, your eyes are my song,
Without you, my heart’s gone wrong-”
Kayn doubled over on the couch, wheezing with laughter. “Oh my god, he’s serenading him!” Ezreal squealed, clapping like he was at a wedding. “This is the most romantic trainwreck I’ve ever seen!” K’Sante just shook his head, though the corner of his mouth twitched. “You are shameless.”
Aphelios buried his face in one hand, scribbling furiously with the other. He slid the notebook across the table without looking up: Stop. Immediately.
Sett only leaned closer, still belting the chorus directly at him. “Aphe, oh Aphe, my lyricist divine!”
Yuji, perched on Yone’s lap, shrieked with laughter and clapped. “Funny!”
Even Yone’s calm facade cracked slightly, his lips twitching as he murmured, “…This is absurd.” Sett finished with an overdramatic kneel in front of Aphelios, holding the mic like a rose. “For you, my muse.” Aphelios dropped his pen on the table with a thud. Sett just smirked, handing the mic back like nothing had happened. “Beat that.”

The room was in chaos. Ezreal wiped actual tears from his eyes, Kayn was half on the floor clutching his stomach, and even K’Sante’s usually calm expression was cracked with a rare smirk. Yuji, perched on Yone’s lap, clapped his sticky little hands and kept chanting, “Funny! Funny!” Sett gave a proud bow. “See? I’m a natural-born entertainer.” Yone exhaled softly, his voice even as ever. “…That was absurd.” Ezreal immediately gasped. “Absurd? That was art!” Kayn snorted. “Bro, admit it. That was legendary.” Yone’s eyes flicked to his son, still giggling, then back to the band. “It was childish. Foolish.” Sett grinned wider. “So what, you’ve never done something foolish for love?” Ezreal leaned forward, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Wait. Do you and Yue sing to each other? C’mon, tell us. Duets? Secret serenades? Or are you two just… boring?”
The entire room went still, watching Yone’s face like hawks. Yuji tilted his head, echoing the last word. “Boring?”

Yone’s brows furrowed the faintest fraction. “…No.”
“HA!” Ezreal shot up, pointing dramatically. “That means yes. He said no too fast. They totally sing to each other.”
Kayn cackled. “Oh my god, Yue’s out here screaming metal ballads at him in candlelight, and he’s probably just nodding like, ‘hm. Acceptable.’” Sett slapped his knee, laughing. “Bro, you’re telling me you’ve never even tried? Not one love song for your wife?” Yone’s gaze didn’t waver, but there was a quiet weight in his tone. “…I am not a singer. She knows this. She has never asked.” Ezreal groaned dramatically. “Ugh, so stoic! Imagine being married to the greatest metal goddess alive and refusing to sing. That’s criminal.”
Aphelios scribbled something down and slid it across the table. Two neat words: Opposites work. Sett barked a laugh. “He’s right. Guess that’s why it works, you keep quiet, she screams for both of you.” Even Yone’s lips twitched at that, though he hid it quickly behind his tea.

Ezreal leaned across the couch, chin in his hands, eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Okay, fine, you don’t sing for Yue. But does she sing for you? C’mon, tell us. She’s the Black Roses queen, don’t tell me she never gave you a private show.” Sett waggled his eyebrows. “Yeah, bro. Don’t hold out on us.”
Even K’Sante tilted his head. “It would not be surprising. She sings for the world. Surely she sings for her partner.” Yone’s gaze remained calm, unreadable. He took a long sip of tea before answering. “…Yes.” The band erupted in chaos. Ezreal screeched, “I KNEW IT!”
Sett whooped. “Oh, that’s so unfair. He gets front-row, VIP, unplugged Yue concerts!”
Kayn smirked wickedly. “Bet it’s metal lullabies. Imagine trying to sleep with that in your ear.” Yuji perked up instantly. “Mama sing!” he chirped, clapping his little hands.
Yone brushed a hand through his son’s curls. “…She does.” The band howled with laughter all over again, while Yone went right back to his tea, unbothered. “Alright, alright,” Sett said, wiping his eyes. “Who’s up next?”

Kayn snatched the mic with a wicked grin, his eyes glinting as they locked on Ezreal.
“Alright, my turn. Pop Princess got his glitter moment, Sett sang his soap opera… time for some real art.” Ezreal sat up straighter, already suspicious. “Don’t you dare-”
The beat dropped, playful, cheeky, with just enough edge. Kayn leaned in, smirking.

“Golden boy Ez, sparkle in his hair,
Struts through the room like nobody cares.
Shiny and loud, drives us insane,
But damn if he isn’t stuck in my brain-”
Sett immediately howled. “Oh no. He’s going there.” Ezreal pointed furiously. “Stop right now!” Kayn prowled across the living room, circling him like a wolf with its prey.
“So dramatic, so sweet, always stealing the light, Talks a big game, but I wonder at night…
When the cameras are gone, and the noise fades low, Are you still that loud… or softer, y’know?” The room exploded. Sett doubled over, wheezing. “BRO!” K’Sante actually covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.
Aphelios scribbled in neat letters and held up his notebook: Indecent. Ezreal was bright red, jumping to his feet. “KAYN! That’s-THAT’S ILLEGAL!” But Kayn wasn’t done. He leaned closer, his voice dropping into a near-whisper through the mic:
“Glitter on stage, always ready to fight,
But I bet you’re real shy when you turn off the light.”
The apartment erupted.
Sett collapsed onto the floor, tears streaming down his face. “He actually said it!” Ezreal shrieked, throwing a pillow at Kayn. “NO! NO! I will sue you! DELETE THAT FROM EXISTENCE!” Yuji clapped his little hands like it was the best show he’d ever seen. “Funny! Noisy!”

Kayn took a dramatic bow, smirking ear to ear. “Thank you, thank you. Ezreal’s bedtime ballad-limited edition.” Ezreal collapsed onto the couch, burying his face in a cushion. “I HATE you.” Even Yone’s calm voice cut through, low but sharper than usual. “…Kayn. Enough.” Kayn only shrugged, grinning wider. “Hey, I didn’t lie. I just… painted a picture.”
The band roared with laughter again, while Ezreal threatened to quit Heartsteel for the fifth time that week.

“Alright,” K’Sante rumbled, rising from his seat. “Enough foolishness. Karaoke should honor the music, not mock it.”
“Boooooring,” Kayn sing-songed, still grinning.
K’Sante ignored him, scrolling with deliberate calm until he found a track. A deep, steady rhythm filled the room, majestic, almost hymn-like. He lifted the mic with perfect posture and began to sing in his low, powerful voice. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t loud. But it was steady, commanding, almost noble.
The band quieted. Even Ezreal peeked out from behind his pillow, blinking. “Okay… that’s actually kinda good.” Sett rubbed the back of his neck. “Man, you sound like you’re auditioning for an opera.” Yuji tilted his head, staring at K’Sante intently. For a long moment he just listened, thumb in his mouth… and then, very loudly, he yawned. Sett burst out laughing. “Bro, you put him to sleep faster than a lullaby!” Ezreal snorted. “He’s not bored, he’s in a trance. Big difference.”

Aphelios scribbled neatly, holding up his page: Respectful. Too much.
K’Sante finished his song with a calm bow, utterly unshaken by their teasing. “Music must be treated with dignity.” Kayn rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, toddlers don’t care about dignity. They want chaos.”
“Alright,” Sett said, wiping tears from his eyes. “We’ve had Pop Princess, troll ballads, and opera dad. Guess who’s next?” All eyes turned toward Yone. He sat perfectly still, hands folded around his tea, completely unmoved.
“…No.” Ezreal gasped dramatically. “No? Darling, you can’t just say no! It’s karaoke night, you can’t hide behind your tea forever!”
Kayn smirked. “Yeah, c’mon, stoic producer. Let’s hear you butcher a track like the rest of us.” Yone only shook his head. “I do not sing. That is not my role.” Yuji, who was half-leaning against his lap, suddenly pushed himself up. “Papa sing,” he piped. “Not tonight,” Yone said evenly, but Yuji wasn’t giving up. He climbed higher, patting both hands against his father’s face. “Papa sing Mama song!”
The entire room went still. Ezreal whispered, eyes wide, “Did he just say Mama’s song?”
Sett grinned like a wolf. “Bro, you’re doomed. No way you say no to that.” Even K’Sante nodded gravely. “A child’s request should not be denied.” Yone breathed out quietly, patience stretching thin. “…Yuji. I cannot sing like her.”
Yuji tilted his head, eyes huge and pleading. “Mama song… Papa.” There was no escaping that.
At last, Yone set his teacup aside, rose, and lifted Yuji into his arms. His voice was soft, directed only to the boy. “Very well. But only for you.”
The band held their breath as Yone walked to the mic. He scrolled through the playlist until a heavy Black Roses track began, one of Yue’s old songs, famous for its brutal screams and impossible range. Ezreal nearly fell off the couch. “NO WAY! He’s actually picking her song?” Sett doubled over. “Bro’s lost his mind! You can’t cover Yue!” Yone adjusted his grip on the mic. The guitars roared, drums hit, and he drew in a steady breath. “…Rise again.”
It came out calm, too calm. He tried again, pushing harder. “RISE AGAIN!” His voice cracked right in the middle, half-scream, half-cough. Yuji gasped, then burst into laughter, hugging his father’s neck. Sett hit the floor, laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe. “BRO! That sounded like a dying crow!”
Ezreal wiped tears from his eyes. “No, no, more like a blender full of gravel. But iconic.”
K’Sante shook his head, though a small smile tugged at his mouth. “Still… to attempt it takes courage.” Aphelios scribbled neatly in his notebook and held it up: Brave.
Yone set the mic aside, perfectly composed. “…You see now why I do not sing.” Yuji giggled, chanting happily, “Papa sing! Funny Papa!” before burying his face in Yone’s shoulder.
Sett slapped his knee, still wheezing. “Man, Yue would end you if she heard that. But respect, you tried.” Ezreal nodded, still laughing. “Yeah. Respect. Tragic, but respect.”
Yuji was still giggling into Yone’s shoulder when he suddenly sat up, eyes sparkling.
“ALL sing! Rise again!” The room froze. Ezreal blinked. “…Oh no.” Sett grinned. “Oh YES.”
K’Sante sighed. “This will not end well.”
Yuji clapped his little hands again. “Rise again! Rise again!” Yone’s calm voice cut in, flat as stone. “You do not have to-”
“Are you kidding? We have to,” Ezreal said, already grabbing the mic. “If the tiny emperor commands it, who are we to refuse?” The intro blasted again. Ezreal tossed his hair back, raised the mic… and shrieked, “RIIIIISE AGAaaaAaaAIN!” in a high, warbling tone that could’ve killed glass. Yuji screamed with laughter. “Noisy!” Sett rolled his shoulders. “Alright, my turn. Watch and learn.” He bellowed into the mic with enough force to rattle the walls: “RIIIIISE AGAIN!” Yuji flinched, then shouted right back at him, “TOO LOUD!”
The whole room cracked up. K’Sante tried next, his deep baritone rumbling the floorboards. “Rise again.” Yuji blinked once… then yawned. Sett wheezed. “Bro, you bored him to sleep again!” Yuji started clapping, chanting, “Rise again! Rise again!” bouncing in Yone’s arms, demanding encore after encore.
Yone sighed quietly, rubbing his temple. “…This was a mistake.”

Chapter Text

The next morning was quiet, almost suspiciously quiet. Sunlight streamed across the apartment, glinting off the microphone that still lay forgotten on the coffee table. A few toy blocks were scattered under the couch. The night before felt like a fever dream of laughter, noise, and far too many failed screams. Yone stood by the window, one hand wrapped around a cup of tea, lost in thought.
He had a meeting with the label in less than two hours. One of those long, tedious business meetings, budget reports, scheduling, image discussions. He couldn’t exactly walk in there with a toddler in his arms. He glanced back at the couch. Yuji was curled up beneath a blanket, soft snores rising and falling. His little hand still clutched one of Sett’s sunglasses like a trophy from last night.
Yone sighed quietly. “I cannot bring him. He would only cause chaos.”

A sleepy voice drifted from behind him. “Can’t bring who?” Sett stumbled out of the hallway, hair a mess, wearing a shirt that clearly wasn’t his. “Yuji,” Yone answered simply. “I have a meeting with the label today.” Sett blinked, then yawned. “Oh. So just… leave him here. We got this.” Yone raised an eyebrow. “You ‘got this’?”
“Yeah,” Sett said proudly. “We babysat him yesterday. That’s hands-on experience!” Ezreal wandered in next, clutching a half-finished energy drink. “No, no, no. He’s not leaving a literal child with us. We can’t even keep track of our own shoes.” K’Sante appeared behind them, calm as always. “We will manage,” he said simply. “Structure and patience.” Ezreal groaned. “You say that now. Wait until he starts throwing honey at your head.” Kayn, already sprawled across the couch, looked up with a smirk. “C’mon, let him go. What’s the worst that could happen?” Yone turned, eyes sweeping across the room, at the mismatched chaos of his bandmates, still half-asleep and fully unprepared. “…Many things,” he said flatly.

Aphelios sat quietly at the table, already writing in his notebook. He tore out a page and handed it to Yone. I can watch them. And him. That, against all odds, actually eased Yone’s concern a little. He looked at Yuji again. The boy’s hair was sticking up, mouth open, drooling peacefully onto Sett’s sunglasses. The very image of innocence… for now.
Yone exhaled slowly. “Very well. I will leave instructions.” Sett grinned. “Perfect. We’re officially promoted to babysitters!” Ezreal muttered, “More like a disaster waiting to happen.”

Yone sat at the desk with his tea still steaming beside him, expression perfectly calm but eyes sharp with concentration. He opened his leather-bound notebook, smoothed the page, and began to write with the quiet, efficient determination of someone who’d done this before. Twenty-five minutes later, he set the pen down, reread every line twice, and tore out four full pages of instructions. He placed them neatly on the counter, tapped the stack once to straighten it, and said without irony,
“There. The essentials.”
Sett stared. “Essentials? Bro, that’s a manual for human operation.”
Ezreal leaned in. “Wait, he added a table of contents.”
Sure enough, the first page read in perfect handwriting:
‘Yone’s Guidelines for the Care and Maintenance of Yuji’
Each section was underlined in black ink.

---

SECTION I - Nutrition and Hydration

1. No refined sugar.
- This includes candy, soda, and Ezreal’s strawberry milk.
- Do not let him have energy drinks “just to taste.”
- He reacts to sugar like a wildfire, fast, loud, and unstoppable.
2. Breakfast:
- Oatmeal with honey only if supervised.
- No more than one teaspoon.
- Alternate options: rice porridge with fruit or small tamagoyaki rolls (cut into stars).
3. Lunch:
- Bento with rice, grilled vegetables, tofu or egg.
- No red meat after noon, it upsets his stomach.
- No processed sauces. No chili.
4. Snacks:
- Approved: rice crackers, yogurt, steamed edamame, sliced apples (peeled).
- Forbidden: chips, chocolate, Ezreal’s “diet bars.”
5. Drinks:
- Water or warm barley tea.
- No milk after 4 p.m. He becomes congested.
- Absolutely no caffeine. (Yes, that includes “decaf.”)
6. Allergies & Sensitivities:
- Sensitive to strawberries in artificial flavoring.
- Cinnamon may trigger rash; avoid entirely.
- Check for sesame oil in any takeout.
7. If he refuses food:
- Distract with soft humming or toy cars.
- Do not negotiate with dessert. It never ends well.

SECTION II - Music and Environmental Control
1. Morning (6–10 a.m.):
- Only soft music: acoustic guitar, piano, or ambient playlists.
- Avoid heavy percussion; it makes him hyperactive.
2. Afternoon (10 a.m.–5 p.m.):
- Metal or rock is technically allowed, but only in short intervals.
- Limit to 20 minutes maximum.
- Expect immediate burst of energy, running, drumming, or spontaneous “battle mode.”
- If he begins yelling “Encore!” stop immediately and switch to something slower.
3. Evening (5–8 p.m.):
- Gentle background music only. Traditional, instrumental, or lullabies.
- Avoid songs with fast tempo or distorted guitar.
4. Forbidden entirely:
- Kayn’s playlist titled “Chaos Mix.”
- Sett’s gym tracks.
- Anything where the lyrics include shouting matches.

SECTION III - Health & Safety
1. Medication:
- Multivitamin syrup every morning (small green bottle, 1 teaspoon).
- Keep tissues near at all times; his nose bleeds easily when dry.
2. Sleep schedule:
- Nap: 1:30 p.m. sharp.
- Bedtime: 8:00 p.m.
- He will argue; do not engage. Simply turn on the night light and hum.
3. Temperature:
- Yuji gets cold quickly. If he says “hands cold,” it’s time for socks or a blanket.
- Avoid drafts; close the window near the couch.
4. Emergencies:
- If he falls: check forehead first, then knees.
- If he cries suddenly, it’s usually exhaustion. Offer water.
- If he’s silent for too long, find him immediately. He’s planning something.

SECTION IV - Behavioral Management
1. Distraction techniques:
- Counting games, building blocks, or peekaboo work best.
- Compliments restore morale. (Yes, even toddlers have morale.)
2. Forbidden activities:
- Jumping on furniture.
- Touching Sett’s weights.
- “Helping” Kayn tune guitars.
- Asking Ezreal for fashion advice (“He’ll end up in rhinestones again.”)
3. Communication cues:
- If he says “Boom!” hide breakables.
- If he says “I fix!” prepare for chaos.
- “I help Papa” means he’s already started something unsupervised.
4. Tantrum protocol:
- Step 1: Deep breath.
- Step 2: Offer blanket.
- Step 3: Play soft music or hum.
- Step 4: Notify me immediately if nothing works.

Yone set the pen down at last, stacking the pages with geometric precision. He left them on the counter beside a glass of water and a neatly folded towel, like a ritual offering.
He turned to the others, expression calm. “If you follow these rules, there will be no issues.”
Sett whistled low. “No issues? Bro, that’s the same number of rules as a military base.”
Ezreal scanned the list in awe. “You- you even wrote timestamps for snack breaks!”
Aphelios simply wrote one word and held it up: Terrifying. Yone folded his arms. “Predictability prevents disaster.” He gave Yuji one last glance, the boy now sprawled sideways across the couch, drooling into his blanket, then looked at the others. “…Good luck,” he said quietly. And left. The door clicked shut behind him. Silence.
Sett exhaled. “...Okay. So who remembers where he put the vitamin syrup?”

For the first fifteen minutes after Yone left, no one dared to touch the list. It sat on the counter like a holy text, four immaculate pages of instructions, intimidating and sacred.
Finally, Sett clapped his hands together. “Alright, troops. Operation Yuji begins now.”
Ezreal rolled his eyes. “It’s a baby, not a military campaign.” K’Sante folded his arms. “Discipline and routine,” he said simply. “Let us follow it exactly.” Aphelios slid the pages toward the center of the table and tapped the heading with his pen: Section I - Nutrition.
He pointed to the clock. “Breakfast window: seven to eight-thirty.”
“Right,” Sett said, already rummaging through the kitchen. “Oatmeal, one teaspoon honey, blueberries. Got it.” To everyone’s surprise, he actually managed it. By the time Yuji toddled into the kitchen in his pajamas, blinking sleepily, there was a small bowl waiting for him. “Good morning, little man,” Sett said cheerfully, crouching down. “You hungry?”
Yuji rubbed his eyes. “Breakfast?” Sett grinned. “You know it.” Ezreal leaned against the counter, holding Yone’s checklist like a manager at a restaurant inspection. “Okay, point one completed. Minimal chaos. Excellent work, team.” K’Sante prepared a cup of barley tea, cooling it down to the perfect temperature with military precision. Aphelios supervised the honey amount like it was surgery. Yuji ate quietly, happily even, no spills, no tantrums, no mysterious sticky disasters.
He finished, handed Sett his spoon, and said, “Thank you!” Sett blinked. “...He said thank you.” Ezreal gasped. “He never says thank you to Yone that fast!” K’Sante nodded. “The structure works.” After breakfast, they moved on to Section II - Music and Mood Regulation.
Aphelios queued up soft acoustic tracks while Sett built towers out of blocks on the rug.
Yuji hummed along, rocking from side to side.
Every time he looked up at them, someone from the band dutifully checked the list again.
No loud instruments before ten. No caffeine.
No overexcitement. It was bizarrely peaceful.
Ezreal whispered, “He’s like… chill. Why is he chill?” Kayn shrugged from the couch. “Guess Yone’s rules actually work.” Sett smirked. “See? We got this.” Even Yuji seemed perfectly content, he stacked blocks, knocked them down, clapped, and helped Ezreal sweep up the mess afterward. By the time the clock hit ten, everything was running smoother than anyone expected. The apartment was quiet. No screaming, no broken mugs, no honey disasters. Ezreal leaned back on the couch, stretching. “Okay, I’ll admit it. He’s kind of an angel when you do everything Yone’s way.”
Sett nodded, proud. “Told ya. Natural-born babysitter.” K’Sante sipped his tea. “As long as we follow the plan, nothing can go wrong.”
It was, of course, at that exact moment that Yuji looked up, tilted his head, and said with perfect innocence-
“…Papa?” The room fell silent. Ezreal blinked. “Uh oh.” Sett glanced at the door, then back at the boy. “He’s at work! Big meeting. Very important.” Yuji didn’t answer. He just looked around, as if expecting Yone to step out from behind the curtain. “Papa?” he tried again, louder this time. K’Sante crouched beside him, calm but unsure. “Your father will return later, little one.”
Yuji frowned, clutching his toy closer. “Papa go?” “Yes,” Sett said softly, trying to smile. “Just for a little while. He’ll be back soon, okay?” Yuji stared down at the floor, small fingers curling tighter around his stuffed fox. His lip trembled. The others exchanged nervous glances.
Aphelios quietly flipped through Yone’s list, as if it might have a section titled “Emotional crisis: absence of parental figure.” He found one line near the bottom of the third page:
> If he becomes anxious when I leave, distract him with a task. Offer reassurance, not denial.
Aphelios tapped the note and pointed.
K’Sante nodded gravely. “Reassurance.”
Sett crouched lower. “Hey, buddy. You wanna help me build the tallest tower ever?” Yuji didn’t respond at first. He pressed his fox to his face, muffling a tiny sniffle. Ezreal frowned, softer now. “Hey… he’ll be back, you know. He never misses a promise.” Yuji looked up, eyes watery. “Papa come back?”
Sett smiled. “Of course. Promise.” There was a long pause, then Yuji nodded slowly, wiping his nose with his sleeve. “…Help build?”
“Yeah!” Sett said immediately, relief washing over him. “Let’s build the biggest one yet.”
K’Sante quietly turned the music a little louder, something warm, steady, familiar. Aphelios handed Yuji a block. And just like that, the tension broke. For now, at least. Ezreal exhaled softly. “Crisis averted.”

But when Yuji started stacking blocks again, his movements were slower, thoughtful. Every few seconds, he’d glance toward the door. Just checking. Just making sure.

For a while, everything went smoothly again.
Yuji built towers with Sett, giggling every time one toppled over. Ezreal clapped dramatically after every crash. “Ten out of ten! Modern art!”
Even Aphelios smiled faintly from behind his notebook. It almost felt easy, until Yuji suddenly stopped stacking blocks. He looked around the room, head tilting to one side.
Then he stood, clutching his stuffed fox, and quietly walked toward the hallway.
“Uh oh,” Sett murmured. “What’s he doing?”
Yuji peeked into Yone’s empty room. “Papa?”
Ezreal blinked. “Oh no. Not again.”
Yuji turned around, eyes big and serious. “Papa not here.” K’Sante crouched down, calm as always. “He went to work, remember? He will return soon.” Yuji shook his head stubbornly. “No. Papa lost. We find Papa.”
The band froze. Kayn looked up from his phone. “We’re what now?”
“Find Papa,” Yuji repeated, already toddling toward the door.
Sett leapt to his feet. “Wait-no, no, no, we are not leaving this apartment.” He glanced at Ezreal in panic. “Quick, think of something!”
Ezreal’s eyes widened. “Uhh-okay, okay! Yuji!” He ran in front of the boy, kneeling down dramatically. “You wanna find Papa?” Yuji nodded, gripping his fox tighter. Ezreal smiled, all charm and sparkle. “Then let’s play a game. You know what Papa loves?”
Yuji blinked. “Game?”
“Yeah! Hide and seek.” Ezreal gestured around grandly. “Papa’s really good at hiding, so we have to look very carefully.” Yuji gasped softly. “Papa hiding?” Sett immediately played along. “Exactly! He’s super sneaky. You never know where he might be.” Aphelios scribbled quickly: Containment strategy. Excellent.
K’Sante nodded approvingly. “Hide and seek will distract him. Good choice.” Yuji’s eyes lit up, all signs of worry gone in an instant.
“Okay! I find Papa!”
“Alright,” Sett said, suppressing a grin, “but you gotta check everywhere.” Yuji ran off, looking under the couch first. “Not here!”
Kayn leaned back on the sofa, snickering. “Wow. You guys just lied to a toddler.” Ezreal crossed his arms. “I call it emotional damage control.” From across the room, Yuji’s little voice piped up again, “Papa not under table!”
Sett whispered, “You think this’ll keep him busy?” K’Sante nodded. “Until he realizes he cannot win.” Ezreal sighed. “So… ten minutes?”
“Fifteen, if we’re lucky.”

Yuji stood in the middle of the room, clutching his stuffed fox with both hands, a serious little frown on his face. “Papa hiding,” he declared, scanning the hallway like a detective on a mission. Ezreal crouched beside him, smiling nervously. “Right, right. But if we’re gonna find Papa, we have to play a game first. Okay?”
Yuji blinked. “Game?”
“Yep!” Ezreal nodded. “Hide and seek. You close your eyes, count to ten, and then come find us!” Yuji tilted his head. “Count?”
Sett chuckled. “Oh boy.” Ezreal waved his hands. “It’s easy! You go like,one, two, three, and then, uh, keep going until ten!” Yuji nodded earnestly, eyes full of determination. “Okay!”
Ezreal clapped his hands together. “Perfect! Alright, everyone hide! Go, go, go!” Sett blinked. “Wait, he can’t even-”
But Yuji had already covered his eyes with both hands and started counting proudly.
“...One! ...Two! ...Fish! ...Big number! ...Nine! ...More nine!”
Ezreal tried not to laugh. “That’s close enough! Everyone hide!” Chaos erupted instantly.
Sett dove behind the couch, bumping his knee on the frame. K’Sante hid behind the door, muttering something about “dignity in chaos.”
Kayn opened the closet, found a mop, and decided that blending in was the best strategy.
Aphelios silently crouched behind the kitchen island, notebook in hand, as if documenting a nature study. Ezreal dashed behind the curtain, his sequined shirt sparkling through the fabric like a disco ball. Meanwhile, Yuji kept “counting.”
“...Seven! ...Banana! ...Two again! ...GO!”
He ripped his hands away from his eyes, grinning. “I find you!” Sett snorted behind the couch. Ezreal hissed, “Don’t laugh, he’ll hear you!” Yuji tiptoed across the room, peeking behind the table first.
“Not Papa. Not Sett. Hmm…” Then he crouched down and spotted Sett’s legs sticking out. “Found you!” Sett burst out laughing. “Ah, no! You got me, little man!”
Yuji squealed with joy and ran off again. He yanked the curtain aside next, Ezreal froze mid-breath, but the sparkly fabric betrayed him. Yuji gasped. “Shiny Papa?”
Ezreal sighed in defeat. “Shiny Uncle, actually. But… yeah, you found me.”
One by one, Yuji hunted them all down, Aphelios (who surrendered quietly), Kayn (still pretending to be a mop), and finally K’Sante, who stood perfectly still like a statue. Yuji tapped his leg. “Got you, big Papa!”
K’Sante bowed his head in solemn acceptance. “Indeed.” Yuji clapped, beaming with pride. “All found!” The room relaxed with collective relief, until Yuji blinked up, eyes wide with sudden realization.
“…Now find real Papa.” Ezreal froze mid-laugh. “…Oh no.” Sett groaned. “Not again.” Yuji nodded seriously, already turning toward the door. “Papa hiding good!” Ezreal sighed, rubbing his temples. “Okay, we are officially in trouble.”
“Find Papa!” he announced again. Ezreal, now sweating slightly, forced a smile. “Ooor-we could play a different game! You hide, and I’ll look for you! Then Papa will find both of us later!” Yuji blinked. “I hide?”
“Yes!” Ezreal said quickly. “You hide really well, okay? Like a super spy!”
Yuji gasped. “Super spy!”
“Exactly.” Ezreal nodded, trying to ignore Sett’s muttered, “We’re doomed.”
“Okay!” Yuji said proudly, and ran off without another word. Ezreal stood up and exhaled. “Whew. Crisis averted. Easy fix.” Sett raised a brow. “You didn’t tell him where to hide.”
“Eh, he’s small. How far could he go?” Ezreal said, waving it off. K’Sante folded his arms. “Famous last words.”

For a few minutes, everything was quiet again. Too quiet. Ezreal checked the clock. “Alright, I’ll give him one minute.” Sett smirked. “You think he even knows what one minute is?”
Ezreal shrugged. “Close enough.” He cupped his hands around his mouth dramatically. “Okay, Yuuujiii! I’m coming to find you!”
Silence. He looked around. “Yuji?” Still nothing. Sett grinned. “Maybe he’s really good at this.” Two minutes passed. Then three.
Ezreal’s grin started to falter. “...Okay, he’s a little too good at this.” They split up instinctively. Sett checked under the table, behind the couch, even under the curtains. “Nothing.” K’Sante looked in every hallway. “Not here.” Kayn opened the bathroom door. “Nope.” Aphelios silently checked closets, cabinets, and behind the laundry machine. He came back shaking his head, writing one word on his notepad: Gone? Ezreal’s heart dropped. “No, no, no, no. He can’t be gone.”
Sett blinked. “He wouldn’t go outside, right? Right? The door’s locked, right?” They all looked at the door. It was still closed, but that didn’t calm anyone. Ezreal pressed a hand to his forehead. “Okay, okay, don’t panic. Maybe he crawled under a bed. He does that sometimes, right? He’s small. He could fit under anything!” K’Sante tried to stay composed. “Remain calm. Logic first. Check every possible corner.”
“Right. Corners.” Ezreal ran toward the hallway. “Yuji! Buddy! Game’s over! You win! Come out now!” No answer. Sett muttered, “Oh man, oh man, Yone’s gonna kill us. We lost his kid. We lost his kid.” Kayn groaned, rubbing his face. “I told you we shouldn’t have played games.”
“Now’s not the time for ‘I told you so!’” Ezreal snapped. Aphelios flipped through Yone’s notes desperately, whispering under his breath as he read. K’Sante leaned over his shoulder. “Any section on missing toddlers?”
Aphelios pointed at the bottom of page four. One line in tiny handwriting read:
> If he disappears, check low places first. He likes to hide where it’s warm.
Ezreal’s eyes went wide. “Warm places. Warm places! Okay, think-where’s warm?”
Sett scratched his head. “The laundry pile?”
Ezreal gasped. “The dryer!” K’Sante frowned. “Surely not-” But by then Ezreal was already sprinting toward the laundry room, heart pounding. He yanked open the dryer door- empty. Then the closet-nothing. He froze, staring at the half-open laundry basket in the corner. Towels, soft and rumpled. Something small underneath. But before he could look closer- Sett yelled from the kitchen, “He’s not in here either!” Ezreal sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, okay. Maybe he’s not in the laundry,maybe he’s, uh-somewhere else!”
He turned back toward the hallway, completely missing the tiny, peaceful sound coming from under the towels: a soft little snore. Yuji was fast asleep, buried deep in the warm laundry pile, his stuffed fox tucked under his chin.
The others kept searching, voices rising through the apartment. “Yuji!”
“Come on, little man!”
“Please don’t be in the air vents!” And through it all, the laundry basket sat quietly in the corner, still, safe, and softly breathing.

The apartment looked like a war zone.
Cushions everywhere. Drawers open. Blanket forts half-collapsed. Ezreal was pacing like a caged animal. “Okay, new plan! We fake our deaths and move to another country before Yone gets back!” Sett groaned. “Make it quick, he’s due in fifteen minutes!” K’Sante pinched the bridge of his nose. “Compose yourselves. Panic will not help us find him.” Aphelios, who had been silent through the chaos, tapped his pen against his notebook. Then, without a word, he wrote something and held it up.
Music.
Ezreal blinked. “What?” Aphelios flipped the page. He reacts to music. Maybe we play something he likes. He’ll come out. K’Sante nodded. “Logical. Worth a try.” Sett threw up his hands. “Sure, why not! Maybe he’s got a secret lair with surround sound!” Ezreal was already sprinting toward the speaker. “Okay-soft music first. Something calm. Acoustic setlist, right?” He scrolled through his playlist, selected a slow instrumental piece, and hit play. Gentle guitar notes filled the room. The band froze, listening.
No sound. No giggle. No footsteps. Sett sighed. “Nothing.” Ezreal groaned. “Okay, fine. Plan B.” He flicked to the next track, something livelier, bright and melodic, a soft pop tune Yue herself had once sung on stage. It started with a playful riff, light percussion, and a hint of that familiar rhythm.
And then, from somewhere in the hallway,
A muffled squeak. A shuffle. A little voice, sleepy but excited. “…Mama music!”
Everyone froze. Ezreal’s eyes went wide. “He said it. He said it!” Sett gasped. “Where- where did it come from?!” They spun around wildly until Kayn pointed toward the laundry room. “There! It came from there!” They all ran at once. Ezreal nearly tripped over a blanket. Sett kicked open the door, and there, right beside the washing machine- The laundry basket moved. A small hand pushed a towel aside, and Yuji’s messy hair appeared, eyes bright and sleepy. He rubbed his face with one tiny fist. “Mama music,” he murmured again, smiling. Ezreal dropped to his knees, half-laughing, half-crying. “Oh my god-he was in the laundry the whole time!”
Sett exhaled so hard it sounded like a scream. “I have aged twenty years!” K’Sante placed a hand over his chest. “Relief.” Kayn shook his head. “You guys are the worst babysitters I’ve ever seen.” Ezreal picked Yuji up carefully, holding him close. “You scared us half to death, you know that?” Yuji blinked drowsily, completely unbothered. “Hide good.” Sett laughed breathlessly. “Yeah, kid. You win.”
And that was the exact moment the front door opened. The band froze. Yone stood in the doorway, perfectly calm, while the band froze mid-panic. Yuji was back in Ezreal’s arms, sleepy and smiling, clutching his stuffed fox like nothing had ever happened. “Papa!” he chirped, reaching out. Yone took him gently, one hand supporting his back. “You seem content,” he said softly. The apartment around them looked like a disaster zone, cushions everywhere, a kitchen drawer half open, one curtain ripped halfway down, and a single sock somehow hanging from the ceiling fan.
Ezreal tried to smile. “Uh… welcome back!”
Yone looked at him, then slowly scanned the room. His gaze lingered on the speaker, where soft pop music still played. Yue’s voice drifted through the air, calm, soothing, deceptively peaceful. His eyes narrowed slightly. “…You played her music?” Sett jumped in before Ezreal could open his mouth. “Educational purposes!” Ezreal nodded frantically. “Yeah! Stimulation! Baby brain development!”
Yone’s brow furrowed. “At full volume?”
K’Sante stepped forward smoothly. “He responded positively to rhythm. It was, in fact, effective.” Yone glanced at Yuji, who yawned and patted his father’s cheek. “Mama music!”
“Mm.” Yone adjusted his hold, his voice unreadable. “I see.” Ezreal’s heart dropped into his stomach. Yone didn’t sound angry. That was worse. “Did he nap?” Yone asked quietly.
“Uh-yes!” Sett blurted. “Perfect nap! Very calm! Great posture!” Ezreal whispered, “Posture?” out of the corner of his mouth. “Quiet,” Sett hissed back. Yone nodded once, seemingly satisfied. “Good. Then today was… successful?” Four heads nodded in unison.
“Completely,” K’Sante said smoothly.
“Total success,” Ezreal squeaked.
“Flawless,” Sett added, sweating.
Kayn, who had said nothing the entire time, muttered, “Barely survived.” Ezreal stomped on his foot. Yone tilted his head slightly but said nothing. He brushed Yuji’s hair back gently. “Then I am glad.” He turned toward the hallway, carrying his son, speaking softly as he walked. “Come, Yuji. You can tell me about your day later.” Yuji mumbled something incoherent, already half-asleep again. “Hide good.” Yone paused, glanced over his shoulder. “Hide?” Ezreal laughed too fast. “Haha, kids! They say the funniest things!”
Yone’s eyes lingered on him for a moment longer, long enough for everyone’s souls to leave their bodies, then he simply nodded once and disappeared down the hall.
The door to the bedroom clicked shut. For three full seconds, no one spoke. Then Sett collapsed onto the couch. “We live.”
Ezreal groaned and slid to the floor. “Barely. I thought he knew.” K’Sante exhaled, wiping his brow. “He suspects. But he did not press.”
Aphelios, still holding his notebook, wrote one word in neat, perfect handwriting: Miracle.
K’Sante crossed his arms. “We must coordinate our version of events.” Ezreal groaned. “We need a PR meeting for babysitting. This is our lowest point.”
They all sat in exhausted silence for a long moment, five grown men, emotionally destroyed by a three-year-old and the constant, looming fear of Yone (and worse, Yue). Ezreal finally muttered, “Next time, we’re hiring a professional.” Sett snorted. “If there is a next time.” And in the hallway, from behind the closed door, they could just barely hear Yuji’s sleepy giggle, followed by Yone’s quiet voice, calm and low as ever: “…You hid in the laundry basket again, didn’t you?”
The band froze. Ezreal whispered, horrified, “He knows.”

Chapter Text

Morning light slipped through the blinds, warm and quiet, at least for now. Yone was already awake, dressed, and tying his long hair back neatly. The apartment was unusually peaceful, apart from the muffled sound of Sett bumping into something in the kitchen. Yuji sat on the bed, still in his pajamas, clutching his stuffed fox. His hair stuck out in every direction, and he blinked sleepily as Yone knelt in front of him with a small pile of neatly folded clothes.
“Come, Yuji,” Yone said softly. “We are leaving soon.”
“Where?”
“The studio,” Yone replied, helping him pull on his little shirt. “We will make music today. You must behave.” Yuji tilted his head. “Studio is big?” Yone smiled faintly. “Very big. And full of buttons you may not touch.” Yuji nodded very seriously. “Okay. No buttons.” Yone paused. “Good.” A short silence followed and then Yuji added cheerfully, “Maybe one button.” Yone sighed quietly. “That is not how numbers work.”

From the living room came the sound of Ezreal’s voice, bright and chaotic as always. “Do we have snacks? Sett, you packed snacks, right? He needs snacks!”
“I got snacks!” Sett called back. “Kind of!”
Yone pinched the bridge of his nose. When he stepped into the hallway with Yuji in tow, the sight that greeted him was pure Heartsteel chaos: Sett trying to zip up a backpack full of random items (half of them not for children),
Kayn arguing with Ezreal about car music,
K’Sante neatly folding a blanket for Yuji’s car seat, and Aphelios silently labeling everything with sticky notes for “organization.” Ezreal turned around dramatically. “Good morning, Dad of the Year!” Yone gave him a flat look. “Do not start.” Sett grinned. “Hey, we’re ready! Snacks, juice, toys, emergency wipes-”
Ezreal interrupted. “-and playlist!”
“Playlist?” Yone repeated slowly, already suspicious. “Yeah!” Ezreal beamed. “For the drive! I made one for Yuji. It’s got, like, kid-friendly stuff. No metal.” Yone blinked once. “…Good.” Kayn smirked. “But I added one song at the end. Just in case he’s got taste.” Yone didn’t even ask. He picked Yuji up, settled him into the car seat that K’Sante had properly secured, and buckled him in with practiced care. “Seatbelt first.” Yuji nodded solemnly. “Seatbelt strong!”
“Correct,” Yone said softly. He handed him the stuffed fox. “For the ride.” Yuji hugged it tight. “Fox safe.”
“Good.”
When everyone was finally crammed into the car, Ezreal in the passenger seat, Sett and Kayn squabbling in the back, K’Sante calmly supervising, Aphelios typing notes on his phone, Yone adjusted the mirror, sighed once, and started the engine. The soft hum filled the silence. Ezreal turned, grinning. “Aww, look at him. He’s like a little mini-you. Same serious face.” Yone kept his eyes on the road. “One more comment and you walk.” Sett laughed. “Man, you’re intense even before caffeine.”
“I do not require caffeine,” Yone said flatly.
“Yeah, but we do!” Ezreal protested, holding up a coffee cup that immediately spilled when Yone hit a bump. K’Sante calmly handed him a napkin. “Stability is key.” Yuji, unfazed by the chaos, looked out the window, wide-eyed at the passing streets. “Big city.” Yone’s tone softened. “Yes. Many people, many lights. You will see Papa’s studio soon.” Ezreal grinned. “Wait till he sees it. He’s gonna think it’s Disneyland.” Kayn muttered, “Yeah, except there’s no rides, just microphones and emotional damage.” Sett elbowed him. “Hey, be nice in front of the kid.” Yuji pointed out the window. “Dog!” Everyone stopped.
Yone actually smiled a little, eyes still on the road. “Good eyes.” Yuji grinned proudly. “Dog fast!”
“Very fast,” Yone agreed.

For a while, the ride went smoothly. The sun lit the dashboard, Ezreal hummed softly to the playlist, and Yuji stared in wonder at everything, cars, trees, reflections. Then the last song on the playlist came on. Distorted guitars. A drumbeat that rattled the mirrors.
Yone’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “Kayn.” Kayn smirked. “He likes metal!”
Yuji blinked, perked up and started headbanging in his car seat. “LOUD SONG!”
Sett was wheezing. “He’s literally you!” Ezreal was crying with laughter. “We’re doomed.”
Yone took a long, steady breath. “…You will all regret this.”

The car was filled with pounding guitars and furious drums. Kayn sat in the backseat, smirking like a man who’d just unleashed divine chaos. Yuji’s little head started bobbing immediately. His eyes lit up, and before anyone could stop him-
thump-thump-thump!
Tiny hands began drumming furiously against the back of Yone’s seat in perfect rhythm.
“LOUD SONG! LOUD SONG!” he sang, or rather, shouted, in his adorable, offbeat toddler voice.
“BANG BANG! FOX SING TOO!” Ezreal doubled over laughing. “He’s jamming! Look at him go!”
Sett was already recording on his phone. “That’s my boy! Natural rhythm!” K’Sante muttered, “At least he’s keeping tempo.”
Yone’s hands tightened ever so slightly on the steering wheel. His knuckles were pale, his expression unreadable, but the faint muscle twitch at his temple told the story. Yuji continued enthusiastically, now kicking his little feet in time with the drums. “BOOM BOOM! PAPA CAR MUSIC!” Ezreal was crying with laughter. “He said Papa car music!” Kayn leaned forward, grinning wickedly. “See? I told you he’s got taste.” Yone’s voice cut through the music like a blade. Calm. Cold. Final.
“Kayn.”
“Yeah?”
“You will regret this.” The grin vanished.
Sett howled. “Oh, you’re dead, bro.” Ezreal wiped tears from his eyes. “No, this is history in the making. First live Heartsteel duet: Yone and Yuji!” Yuji, oblivious to his father’s slow descent into quiet fury, smacked the seat again and shouted, “SING PAPA!” Yone inhaled deeply. “No.”
“PAPA SING!” Another thump-thump-thump!
Sett tried and failed to hide his laughter. “Just give him one line, man!” Yone glanced into the rear-view mirror. The band instantly fell silent.
Ezreal whispered, “Oookay, shutting up now.”
Yuji, unfazed, was still happily drumming, chanting to the heavy guitar riff: “FOX METAL! PAPA DRUM!” When the song finally ended, Yone reached forward, switched the playlist back to silence, and exhaled slowly. The car went completely still. Yuji blinked, confused. “More song?” Yone’s tone was perfectly calm. “No more song.” Kayn leaned back carefully. “...He liked it.” Yone’s eyes flicked to him through the mirror, sharp as a blade, but his voice stayed quiet. “Yes. He did. And when he refuses to sleep tonight, you will handle it.”
Kayn swallowed. “Noted.” Yuji, meanwhile, had started softly tapping his fox’s head like a drum. “Fox practice!” Ezreal chuckled weakly. “Oh man, I think we just found Heartsteel’s newest percussionist.” Sett grinned. “Yeah, give him five years and he’ll replace me.”
Yone didn’t look away from the road. “Five years? Try five minutes.” The car fell into uneasy laughter. And over it all, Yuji’s tiny voice kept chanting happily:
“Boom boom, Papa car metal!”
Yone closed his eyes for a brief moment at a red light, whispering something in Ionian that sounded suspiciously like a prayer for patience.

By the time they pulled into the Heartsteel Studio parking lot, Yone’s patience was hanging by a single, invisible thread. Yuji, however, was thriving. He was still bouncing in his car seat, tiny legs kicking, head swaying from side to side as he chanted, “Boom boom! Papa car metal! Fox drum!” Sett laughed so hard he nearly choked. “He’s still going! Look at that energy!” Ezreal was recording again. “This is pure serotonin.” Yone parked the car, engine off, and turned slowly in his seat. His tone was calm, too calm. “Everyone. Out. Quietly.” The band froze. “Do not make sudden movements,” Ezreal whispered dramatically. “He’s reached silent rage mode.” K’Sante unbuckled his seatbelt like a soldier accepting fate. “Understood.” Meanwhile, Yuji was gleefully trying to free himself from his harness. “I open! I do!” Yone reached back and unbuckled it for him before the seatbelt could snap. “Patience.” Yuji immediately jumped up on the seat, holding his fox like a trophy. “Studio time!” Ezreal cheered quietly. “Yeah! Studio time!” Yone’s eyes flicked toward him. Ezreal instantly stopped cheering.

Inside the studio… chaos begins immediately.
The moment they stepped through the glass doors, Yuji gasped so loud it echoed. The bright lights, the shiny floors, the big glass panels, it was heaven. “BIG ROOM!” he squealed, taking off at top speed.
“Yuji-!” Yone started, but it was too late.
The kid bolted straight toward the drum kit, tiny sneakers squeaking against the floor.
Sett shouted, “Nooo-wait, don’t-!”
CRASH. A cymbal toppled over with the most dramatic metallic clang imaginable. Yuji froze mid-step. The sound echoed. Then he grinned. “LOUD!” Yone’s eye twitched. Ezreal, already laughing, whispered, “I think he’s your spirit animal, Yone.” Without a word, Yone crossed the room in two calm strides, lifted Yuji effortlessly off the floor, and set him down on a chair. “You stay here. Understand?”

Yuji nodded solemnly. “Okay.” A full two seconds passed before he reached over and pressed the nearest keyboard key. DING!
Yuji gasped, delighted. “It sing again!”
Sett wiped his eyes. “Oh my god, he’s unstoppable.” Yone pinched the bridge of his nose. Aphelios quietly placed Yuji’s fox on the piano and pressed a soft chord. The little boy lit up instantly, eyes wide. “Music!”
Yone sighed but let it go, it was harmless enough. That was, until Yuji spotted the mic stand. “Papa! I sing!”
“No,” Yone said automatically.
“Yes!” Yuji declared, already toddling over. “Loud song!”
Sett was grinning ear to ear. “Let him try! What’s the worst that could happen?”
Yone gave him a look that could have turned steel to dust. “You ask that too often.”
But Yuji was already dragging the mic down to his height. He stood on tiptoe, hugged his stuffed fox close, and yelled into the microphone at full toddler power-
“FOX METAL!”
The speakers screeched. Everyone jumped.
Ezreal fell over laughing. “It’s official. He’s the frontman now.” K’Sante calmly turned the gain down before they blew out the monitors. “Controlled chaos. Manageable.”
Yone exhaled through his nose, closed his eyes, and whispered, “Yue is never hearing about this.” Yuji beamed proudly, completely unaware of the destruction he’d caused. “Yuji sing good?” Yone looked at him for a long moment, then sighed. “…You have spirit.”
Sett grinned. “See? He’s got the family talent.”
Kayn leaned back in his chair, smirking. “You realize we can’t top that performance, right?”
Ezreal nodded. “Yeah, that’s it. Show’s over. Retire the band.”Yuji climbed up onto the piano bench, humming nonsense and hitting random keys, pure joy radiating off him.

Yone, however, had reached his limit, that quiet, dangerous kind of limit that didn’t come with yelling, only precision. He inhaled slowly, exhaled through his nose, and began silently moving things. Ezreal frowned. “...Uh, what’s he doing?” Sett tilted his head. “Either reorganizing the studio or constructing a weapon.” K’Sante studied Yone’s movements. “He’s clearing space… that’s too intentional for rage.” In less than five minutes, Yone had assembled what could only be described as a toddler containment unit, four padded partitions, a floor mat, a blanket, a plush fox, and a water bottle. He tested the stability once, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned toward his son. “Yuji,” he said quietly.
Yuji blinked up from where he was trying to wear Sett’s drumsticks like antlers. “Yes, Papa?”
“Come here.” Yuji trotted over obediently.
Yone picked him up with practiced ease and set him gently inside the little space. “This is your area now.” Yuji looked around, eyes huge. “Box?” Yone nodded. “Yes. Safe box. You stay inside.” Yuji’s face lit up. “My box!”
“Exactly,” Yone said, and for a moment, peace reigned. Sett whispered to Ezreal, “Dude. He built a playpen out of soundproof panels.”
Ezreal whispered back, “He’s a genius. Terrifying, but a genius.”
Yone turned and his calm, cool gaze landed squarely on Kayn. Kayn froze mid-smirk. “…What?” Yone folded his arms. His tone was perfectly calm. “You added the song.”
Kayn swallowed. “...Maybe.”
“Because of you, he drummed on my seat for twenty minutes and screamed the word ‘metal’ fifty-two times.” Sett snorted. “You counted?” Yone didn’t even blink. “I count everything.” Ezreal bit his fist to stop laughing.
Yone stepped closer to Kayn, voice low but steady. “Therefore, you will now take responsibility.” Kayn blinked. “Uh… how exactly?”
“You will keep him calm,” Yone said simply. “If he becomes loud again, you will wash every dish in this house for one week.” Ezreal’s eyes went wide. “Oh no, he’s serious.” Sett cackled. “Man, he’s dead serious.” K’Sante nodded gravely. “A fair consequence.” Kayn threw up his hands. “You can’t make me the babysitter!”
Yone looked at him evenly. “Would you prefer to start washing now?”
Kayn hesitated. “...I’ll babysit.”
“Good.”

Yuji, oblivious to the doom hanging over Kayn’s head, peeked over the edge of his little “Papa box.”
“Kayn play?”
Kayn forced a smile. “Yeah, little man, we’ll… play.”
“Quiet play,” Yone added pointedly.
“Yes, yes, quiet play, I got it,” Kayn said, waving him off. Yone’s tone didn’t change. “If he screams again-”
“I’ll wash dishes,” Kayn muttered. “Got it.”
Yone nodded once and turned away to check the soundboard. Ezreal leaned toward Kayn, whispering, “Better start practicing your scrubbing technique.”
A crash echoed from the box. Yuji had somehow dismantled one of the spare drum pedals and was now tapping it against the floor, making rhythmic clicks. “Fox metal two!”
Kayn’s face went pale. “...I’m dead.” Yone didn’t even turn around. “Sink. One week.”
Ezreal wheezed. “Bro, that was so fast!”
Sett was doubled over with laughter. “That’s gotta be a record!” K’Sante sighed quietly, taking notes. “Discipline delivered. Immediate results.” Aphelios lifted his notebook and wrote one simple word: Doomed.
Meanwhile, Yuji proudly tapped the pedal again and shouted, “Kayn sing!” Kayn groaned. “Yeah, yeah, buddy. Quiet singing. Real quiet.”
Yone glanced over, expression unreadable, and murmured, “If I hear one decibel more, it will be two weeks.”
Yuji giggled, bouncing happily inside his “Papa box.”
“Good song! Fox sing too!” And Yone, finally sitting down in his chair, whispered so quietly that only K’Sante heard him: “…Never again.”

---

The day had somehow survived long enough for the band to start working. Yone sat at the mixing console, calm and focused, adjusting levels with precise motions. Sett was in the booth with his guitar, Kayn stood by the mic, K’Sante waited behind the drum kit, and Ezreal, well, Ezreal was pretending to be their vocal director. Yuji sat happily in his “Papa box,” fox in hand, a juice box beside him, and a few scattered toy blocks Yone had confiscated from Sett’s backpack (“How do you even have these?” “They were for emergencies!”). For a brief, golden minute, it almost felt peaceful. Then they hit record.

Kayn started strong, voice smooth, rhythm perfect. Sett came in with guitar. K’Sante followed on percussion. Everything was balanced, tight-
And then from the corner of the room:
“LOUD SONG!!!”

The recording spiked into a wall of noise.
Ezreal choked on his drink. “Oh my god-”
Yone closed his eyes slowly. “Pause.”
Sett wheezed. “He’s… he’s got perfect timing!”
Kayn groaned. “Bro, my take was perfect!”
Yuji bounced in his box, grinning proudly. “Kayn loud! Yuji loud too!” Yone turned in his chair, voice calm. “Yuji. Inside voice.”
Yuji nodded seriously. “Okay.” They started again. This time, the first verse went smoothly, until Sett hit a chord progression Yuji liked.
He gasped dramatically. “Shiny sound!” K’Sante’s snare hit stopped mid-beat. Yone’s hand hovered over the fader. “Continue.”
They did. Another thirty seconds of progress. Then Yuji decided to sing along. But not with words. “BEEP! BEEP! FOX SONG! LA LA!”
Ezreal was on the floor laughing. “Oh my god, he’s freestyling!” Kayn ripped off his headphones. “Yone, he’s louder than the drums!”
“Technically accurate,” K’Sante said quietly.

After an hour of trying to record through tiny outbursts of “FOX METAL!” and “LOUD SONG!”, the band had collectively reached that strange state between exhaustion and delirious acceptance. Ezreal was half-laughing, half-crying over the soundboard.
Sett had given up pretending this was a normal session. K’Sante just sat, hands folded, murmuring, “Adapt to the circumstances.” And Yone, usually the calmest man alive, stared at his son sitting in the “Papa box,” eyes bright, waiting for his next musical conquest. Finally, Yone set his pencil down. “…Fine.” Ezreal blinked. “...Fine what?”
Yone stood up, walked over to Yuji, and crouched. “You want to sing?” Yuji gasped and nodded. “Sing loud!” Yone’s voice stayed soft. “Then sing here.” He lifted Yuji out of the box and carried him over to the drum kit. Sett immediately scrambled out of the way as Yone set him gently on the small stool in front of the snare. Yuji’s eyes went huge. “Big drums.” “Yes,” Yone said calmly, straightening. “Big drums. You will sit. You will sing. We will play with you, not against you.” Ezreal was speechless. “Are we-are we seriously doing this?” K’Sante nodded, already adjusting the mics. “Control through inclusion. Logical.”
Sett grinned. “I’m in. Let’s jam.” Kayn sighed. “This is gonna end badly.” Aphelios just smiled faintly, already setting up a clean recording track titled Yuji Session.
Yone stood by the console, his expression unreadable. “We follow his tempo. When he stops, you stop.” Ezreal blinked. “We’re letting a toddler lead the band?”
“Yes,” Yone said. “You caused this. Adapt.”
Yuji, meanwhile, had picked up a pair of drumsticks, one right side up, the other backwards and tapped them experimentally on the snare. Tap. Tap. Tap. Then, with a deep breath, he yelled, “FOX SONG!” Sett nearly fell off his stool laughing. “Alright! Hit it, little man!” Ezreal jumped on keys. Kayn took vocals. K’Sante added a slow, steady beat behind Yuji’s chaotic tapping. And somehow… it worked. Yuji banged away at the drums, completely off time, but his enthusiasm was infectious. “FOX SING! FOX DRUM! PAPA WATCH!” Ezreal added a bassline. Sett improvised a riff. K’Sante tightened the rhythm to match Yuji’s wild energy, transforming random hits into an actual groove.
Yone adjusted the levels from the console, headphones on, eyes narrowing slightly as the noise shaped itself into something surprisingly musical. Yuji shouted again, half-laughing: “LOUD SONG HAPPY! FOX STRONG!” The band was grinning now, really playing. Sett yelled, “Bridge!” Ezreal laughed. “We don’t even have a bridge!”
“Then make one!” Yuji screamed gleefully and hit both cymbals at once. CRASH! Ezreal flinched, but it was perfect. The timing, the chaos, the energy. And for the first time that day, Yone actually smiled. “Continue,” he said quietly into the mic. “Follow him.”

K’Sante nodded, Sett leaned into his guitar, Kayn added harmonies, and suddenly, just like that, Heartsteel and a almost three-year-old were completely in sync. When they finished, Yuji held the drumsticks high like victory flags.
“I did it!” he yelled. Ezreal cheered. “You did! That was insane!” Sett laughed. “Kid’s got rhythm!” K’Sante nodded. “Natural instinct. Raw and pure.” Yone pressed stop on the recorder and listened to the playback. The sound filled the room, chaotic, messy, but undeniably alive. Ezreal leaned over. “...Wait. This actually slaps.”

Sett grinned. “No way-play it again.”
Yone did. The track crackled with energy: Yuji’s tiny voice shouting, the drums clashing, guitar and bass weaving around the chaos, and somehow, it all worked. Ezreal whispered, stunned, “That’s… good.”

Yone’s voice was quiet but proud. “He found a rhythm. Imperfect. But honest.” Yuji climbed down from the stool, running to Yone and tugging his sleeve. “Papa song!” Yone crouched down, met his bright eyes, and smiled faintly. “Yes. Your song.” Yuji gasped. “I’m band?” Yone straightened. “…Temporary member.” Sett laughed. “Oh come on, he’s earned permanent status!” Ezreal raised his hand dramatically. “Heartsteel featuring Yuji: Fox Metal!” Yone’s eyes narrowed. “…If that ends up online, I will end you.” Ezreal grinned, totally unfazed. “Too late. It’s uploading.”
Yone closed his eyes, exhaled slowly, and muttered, “One week. Dishes. All of you.”
Yuji giggled and hugged his leg. “Good song, Papa!” And despite himself, Yone chuckled, quiet, low, and real.
“Yes,” he said softly, resting a hand on Yuji’s hair. “Very good.”

By the time they got back home, the sun was already setting. The car ride had been quiet, blessedly quiet. Yuji had fallen asleep in his seat halfway through, holding his stuffed fox like a trophy from a victorious concert. The rest of the band looked equally destroyed.
Sett stared blankly out the window. Ezreal hadn’t stopped smiling since the recording.
K’Sante was scrolling through his phone, quietly checking the studio calendar. Kayn just muttered, “One week of dishes. One week of dishes.” Aphelios had written a single word in his notebook: Chaos = Success. When Yone finally parked in front of the apartment, he exhaled deeply. “Out,” he said simply.
Ezreal stretched. “Man, that was amazing. He’s a prodigy!” Yone unbuckled Yuji, who murmured sleepily, “Fox sing good…”
“Yes,” Yone said softly, carrying him out of the car. “Fox sing very good.”

Thirty minutes later

The band had scattered throughout the living room, Sett raiding the fridge, Ezreal editing video clips on his laptop, Kayn washing dishes under K’Sante’s supervision (“You missed a spot.” “Don’t start.”), and Aphelios quietly sorting through footage on a USB stick.
Yone laid Yuji down on the couch, covering him with a small blanket. The little boy sighed, smiling in his sleep, completely unaware that the world was already talking about him.
Yone walked past the others, heading toward his desk. “Do not post anything from today,” he said evenly, “until I have reviewed it.” Ezreal froze. “…Define ‘anything.’” Yone’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Ezreal.” Ezreal chuckled nervously. “Hypothetically speaking, if I’d already posted a small, harmless snippet-”
Yone’s tone didn’t change. “How small?”
Ezreal grinned. “Like… thirty seconds.”
K’Sante looked up from his tea. “That is not small.” Sett peeked over Ezreal’s shoulder. “Oh my god, it already has fifty thousand views.”
Yone stopped mid-step. “What?” Ezreal turned his screen around.
The video played, shaky footage of Yuji on the drum stool, waving his tiny arms, shouting “FOX SONG!” while Heartsteel played along.
The title read: “Heartsteel’s secret new member (and he’s almost three).”
And below it, thousands of comments.
> omg who is this kid
>he has better rhythm than Ezreal lol
> “FOX METAL” is my new religion
>i would die for this child

Yone stared at the screen, utterly still. Ezreal grinned. “See? People love him!” K’Sante frowned. “And are also asking where he came from.” Yone closed his eyes, rubbing his temple. “…Of course they are.” Sett leaned in. “Man, this is gold! You can’t buy publicity like this!”
“Nor would I want to,” Yone said flatly. Then his phone buzzed. He froze. Everyone went silent. Ezreal whispered, “...Who is it?”
Yone looked at the screen. The name Yue glowed faintly in soft blue light. The band collectively made the sound of five men realizing their lives were over. Sett whispered, “She knows.” K’Sante sighed. “It was inevitable.” Ezreal mouthed, “Don’t answer!”
Yone answered. The room fell utterly silent.

“Yone,” Yue’s voice came through the speaker, calm, melodic, and unmistakably dangerous.
“I just saw a video.” Yone’s tone stayed perfectly level. “Yes.”
“Of our son,” Yue continued, “fronting a metal band.”
“Yes.” There was a pause.
“...Would you like to explain,” Yue asked softly, “why thousands of people think he’s debuting next year?” Ezreal clapped a hand over his mouth to stop from laughing. Yone exhaled quietly. “It was… not planned.”
“Clearly,” Yue replied. “He had a microphone.”
Yone’s voice didn’t waver. “He… found it.”
Sett was silently wheezing in the background.
Yue sighed, that particular kind of sigh that meant she was smiling and plotting revenge.
“Send me the full version,” she said finally. “I want to hear what my son calls ‘Fox Metal.’”
Yone’s tone softened despite himself. “You’ll laugh.”
“I already am.” She hesitated for a moment, then her voice grew gentler. “…He sounded happy. That’s good.” Yone’s eyes softened. “He was.”
“Good,” she said. “But Yone…”
“Yes?”
“Next time, tell me before he becomes an internet celebrity.”
“Understood.”
“Goodnight, my love.”
“Goodnight, darling.” The call ended. Silence.
Ezreal finally dared to speak. “...She didn’t kill you.” Yone folded his arms. “Not yet.” Sett laughed. “Dude, she liked it!” Yone exhaled, looking at the sleeping boy on the couch, hair messy, still clutching his fox.
“She did,” he admitted quietly. “But I will never survive the comments section.” Ezreal smirked. “Too late for that. They’ve already started calling him ‘Babysteel.’” Yone blinked once. “...I will delete the internet.”

Chapter Text

Morning sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows, bright and warm for once.
The apartment smelled faintly of coffee and toast, and the quiet hum of the city filled the background. Yuji sat on the counter beside Yone, legs swinging, happily nibbling on a slice of bread. His stuffed fox leaned against the toaster like a breakfast companion. “Papa?” Yuji asked between bites. “Can we go play today?” Yone looked down at him over his cup of tea. “Play?”
“Outside!” Yuji said, his whole face lighting up. “Slide! Swings! Fox want slide too!” Yone sighed softly, already sensing trouble. “Yuji, we cannot simply go outside. People will recognize us.” At that exact moment, Ezreal stumbled into the kitchen, hair sticking in every direction. “Recognize who?” Kayn followed right behind him, yawning. “He’s saying we can’t go outside. Something about being famous or whatever.” Ezreal blinked. “Oh. The usual problem.” Sett appeared next, already grinning. “Wait-did I hear ‘playground’? You can’t tell me the little guy wants to go and we’re saying no.” Yone gave him a look. “We would cause chaos.”
“Not if we disguise ourselves,” Ezreal said, instantly waking up. “I’ve been waiting for this moment.” K’Sante walked in mid-conversation, calm as ever. “Disguises? For what purpose?”
“Papa no want slide,” Yuji said solemnly, pointing at Yone. K’Sante looked from the child to the father, then nodded thoughtfully. “That is unfortunate.” Sett smirked. “Come on, Yone. The kid wants to go. We can throw on hats and sunglasses, easy.” Ezreal grinned. “I’ve got wigs!” Yone froze. “Why do you have wigs?”
“Backup stage props,” Ezreal said proudly.
K’Sante adjusted his glasses. “Camouflage could, indeed, minimize public attention.”
Yone glanced at Yuji again. The boy’s eyes were wide, hopeful, and weaponized with innocence. “Please, Papa?”
Yone sighed in defeat. “…Fine. But only for a little while.”
“Yay!” Yuji cheered, immediately hugging his father’s leg.

Within twenty minutes, Heartsteel had somehow turned into a group of undercover cartoon characters. Ezreal wore a pink hoodie, oversized sunglasses, and a baseball cap with the logo turned sideways. Kayn had tied a scarf around his face like he was hiding from Interpol. Sett wore a hat far too small for his head. Aphelios simply put on a dark mask and somehow looked like a high-fashion model.
And Yone… Grey hoodie, black cap, and a surgical mask. He looked like he was trying to disappear. Ezreal laughed the moment he saw him. “Bro, you look like a mysterious NPC that gives side quests.” Sett added, “Or a dad about to drop the most serious diss track of 2025.”
Yuji tugged on Yone’s sleeve. “Papa looks cool.” Yone’s eyes softened slightly. “Thank you, little one.” Ezreal put a hand to his chest. “Even his kid’s smoother than all of us combined.”
“Enough,” Yone said quietly. “We are leaving before I regret this.”
“Operation Playground!” Sett announced.
“Operation Slide!” Yuji corrected proudly.
The group laughed as they headed out the door, international idols disguised as confused dads, following a giggling toddler clutching his stuffed fox like a general leading his army.

The playground wasn’t far, a small park tucked between rows of apartment buildings, the kind of place where the air smelled faintly of grass and the sound of laughter carried from the swings. Yuji spotted it first. “Slide! Slide!” he shouted, pointing with his tiny mittened hand.
Yone’s grip on him tightened automatically. “Do not run ahead.”
“But slide!”
“Later,” Yone said, calm but firm. “You must wait until I check the area.” Ezreal laughed behind him. “He’s treating it like a mission.”
Kayn smirked. “It is a mission. Operation Playground infiltration.” Sett adjusted his too-small hat. “Man, relax! No one’s even looking at us!” They all froze as a group of nearby teens walked past, whispering,
“Wait… are those-” Ezreal grabbed Sett by the shoulder. “Don’t make eye contact!”
K’Sante smoothly stepped forward, blocking the view with practiced ease. “We are simply fathers and uncles enjoying a wholesome morning.” Yuji giggled. “Uncle funny.”
Yone took a deep breath, set Yuji down on the ground, and knelt in front of him. “Stay where I can see you, alright?” Yuji nodded eagerly. “Yes, Papa!” And then he was off,v running toward the bright red slide, his little fox tucked under one arm like a partner in crime. Yone straightened, eyes locked on him like a hawk.
Sett grinned. “You can breathe, you know. He’s not gonna explode.”
“I prefer to be cautious,” Yone replied.
Ezreal stretched and looked around. “So what do we do while he plays?”
“Supervise,” K’Sante said calmly, crossing his arms. Ezreal ignored that entirely. “We should blend in. Like, act natural.” Kayn snorted. “Dude, you’re wearing a pink hoodie and sunglasses the size of dinner plates. There’s no ‘natural’ happening.” Ezreal pointed. “Says the guy wrapped up like an assassin on vacation.”
“Assassins need vacations too,” Kayn shot back. “Please,” Yone said, his tone perfectly even but sharp enough to cut through their argument. “Keep your voices down.”
Yuji, meanwhile, had already conquered the slide twice and was now commanding a small group of kids like a general. “Fox wants tower!” he announced proudly. A girl with pigtails pointed to the climbing frame. “That’s the tower!” Yuji gasped. “Fox go first!”
From the bench, Sett whispered, “He’s making friends.” Ezreal smiled. “Of course he is. He’s adorable. People like him instantly.”
K’Sante nodded. “Charisma. Clearly inherited.”
Yone’s eye twitched slightly. “Do not.”
“Do not what?” Kayn asked innocently.
“Imply that,” Yone said, voice perfectly calm but deadly quiet. Ezreal laughed. “He means don’t say Yue’s the charismatic one.” Sett grinned. “But she is!”
“Enough,” Yone repeated, turning back to watch the playground. They all went quiet again, watching Yuji climb the little tower with pure determination. He stood at the top, arms stretched wide, shouting, “I’m big fox now!”
A few parents turned to look. Sett and Ezreal instantly ducked their heads. “Oh my god,” Ezreal hissed, “someone’s filming us!”
“Relax,” K’Sante said. “They are filming the children, not us.” Kayn muttered, “Yeah, until they notice us.” Yuji slid down again, laughing so loud Yone couldn’t help the faintest smile that tugged at his lips. Sett caught it immediately. “He’s smiling! The mighty Yone is smiling!” Yone didn’t even glance his way. “Would you prefer I frown?” Ezreal snickered. “You couldn’t. The kid’s too cute.” Yuji ran back toward them, cheeks flushed and hair messy from static. “Papa! Fox slide fast!” Yone crouched down to meet him. “Did you have fun?” Yuji nodded so hard his hat nearly fell off. “Papa!” Yuji called suddenly from the top of the slide. Yone looked up. “Yes?”
“Come slide too!” Yone blinked. “No.”
“Please?” Yuji called, leaning forward dangerously far. “Yuji, careful,” Yone warned, already standing. Yuji grinned, completely unharmed, eyes sparkling. “Slide with me, Papa! Fox says yes!” Ezreal bit his lip to keep from laughing. “Oh, this I have to see.”
Sett was already fumbling for his phone. “Hold on, I need to record this mental image forever.”
K’Sante smiled faintly. “Let him enjoy himself.”
Yone sighed, torn between pride and total embarrassment. “Very well. Once,” he said, walking toward the slide like a man walking to his destiny. Yuji squealed with delight, scooting forward to make space. “Papa sit here!” Yone sat behind him carefully, legs awkwardly bent to fit the narrow slide.
Yuji giggled uncontrollably, holding his father’s hands. “Ready?”
“No,” Yone said quietly.
“GO!” Before he could protest, Yuji launched them both forward. The slide wasn’t very big, but it might as well have been a roller coaster for the tiny child and Yone, despite himself, actually let out a startled breath as they sped down. They landed in a puff of woodchips at the bottom. Yuji laughed so hard he could barely breathe. “Again!” Yone was still crouched, hair slightly out of place, his usual calm shattered just enough for everyone to notice.

Ezreal burst out laughing. “You looked terrified!” Sett clapped his hands. “Bro, you screamed! I heard it!”
“I did not,” Yone said flatly. Kayn grinned. “You totally did, man. That was like a dad-level squeak.” Yone exhaled slowly, brushing the woodchips off Yuji’s coat. “We are done with slides.” Yuji pouted. “Then swing?”
Yone blinked. “Swing?”
“Please?” Yuji said, deploying his deadliest weapon, big pleading eyes. “Papa swing me!”
Yone hesitated. Then sighed again, defeated. “Very well.”

The band followed at a safe distance, whispering like kids at a zoo. “Look at him,” Ezreal whispered. “He’s so careful. That’s the gentlest swing push I’ve ever seen.” Sett smirked. “He’s treating it like it’s training for balance.” K’Sante folded his arms. “Balance is important.” Kayn grinned. “Nah, look- Yuji’s yelling ‘higher!’ and Yone’s actually doing it.” Sure enough, Yuji’s laughter echoed across the park. “Higher, Papa! Fox fly!” Yone gave the swing another careful push, and Yuji kicked his feet gleefully, his little hat nearly flying off.
“Fox fly sooo high!” Yone smiled faintly. “Not too high, little one.” Yuji laughed harder. “Papa smile!” The band froze. Ezreal whispered, “He said it. He noticed!” Sett nearly choked. “We just witnessed history.” K’Sante nodded solemnly. “Truly, a rare sight.” Yone turned his head just enough to look at them, eyes narrowing behind his mask. “If you value your peace, you will be silent.” All four immediately looked away. “Yep. Silent.” Yuji swung a little higher, giggling with pure joy, his voice carrying on the breeze. “Papa best!” he shouted. Yone stopped pushing for a moment, the corners of his eyes softening. “…Thank you, little one.” Ezreal whispered from the bench, smiling despite himself. “Man… this is kinda perfect.” Sett nodded. “Yeah. The rock star life can wait. Today, we’re just uncles.”

After the swings, Yuji came running back toward the benches, cheeks flushed pink, his stuffed fox bouncing in one arm. “Papa!” he called, skidding to a stop in front of Yone.
Yone crouched down. “Yes, little one?”
“Sand!” Yuji announced proudly, pointing at the sandbox. “Fox wanna build castle!” Ezreal grinned from the bench. “Oh, this is going to be good.” Yone blinked. “You can build with the other children, Yuji. I will watch.”
Yuji shook his head immediately, curls bouncing. “No! Papa help! You help make big castle!”
“Yuji,” Yone started carefully, “your uncles can help-”
“Papa,” Yuji said, with that determined little frown that already looked too much like Yue’s. “Fox says only Papa!” Sett choked on his drink. “He used the fox against you. That’s dirty play.” Ezreal laughed. “Kid knows exactly how to win.” Yone sighed in quiet defeat, straightening up. “…Very well.”
“Yay!” Yuji cheered, running ahead toward the sandbox. The band immediately scrambled to watch. “This is going to be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Ezreal whispered, fumbling for his phone camera. “Put that away,” K’Sante said calmly.

Yone sat down carefully at the edge of the sandbox, trying not to wrinkle his clothes. Yuji was already kneeling in the middle, scooping sand into a tiny bucket with impressive focus.
“Here, Papa!” he said, handing him a small plastic shovel. “Help!” Yone accepted it like it was a sacred weapon. “…Understood.”
Yuji grinned and began building a small tower. “Fox live here!”
“Then we must make it strong,” Yone replied seriously. Ezreal was already dying laughing. “He’s roleplaying a sand architect.” Sett smirked. “He’s in character. Look at that form.”
K’Sante nodded. “Precision and patience.”
Kayn snorted. “He’s literally compacting the sand like it’s clay for a sculpture.” Meanwhile, Yuji was humming to himself, stacking little towers, and patting them smooth with both hands.v“Papa, look! Fox castle!” Yone nodded solemnly. “A fine fortress.” Yuji giggled proudly, waving his shovel like a sword. “Fox king!” Sett whispered, “Okay, that’s actually too cute.” Ezreal smirked. “Give it five minutes, he’s gonna pull Yone into full battle mode.”
Sure enough-
“Papa, we need wall!” Yuji said urgently. “Enemies come!” Yone blinked. “…Enemies?”
Yuji nodded with serious determination. “Fox say protect castle!” Yone picked up another bucket of sand. “Then we shall defend it.”
Kayn fell off the bench laughing. “No way he’s actually playing along!” Ezreal wiped tears from his eyes. “He’s building defensive walls around a sand castle!” Yone pressed the sand down carefully, shaping it into perfect corners. “No enemy shall pass.” Yuji cheered. “Papa best knight!” Yone inclined his head. “Fox commands well.” The band collectively melted. K’Sante murmured, “Truly, this child has mastered leadership.”
Sett grinned. “And Yone’s completely gone. Look at him! He’s enjoying it.” Ezreal laughed softly. “Man, Yue would love to see this.”
Yuji looked up, proudly brushing sand off his hands. “Papa, we win!” Yone smiled faintly. “Yes. Victory is ours.” Yuji clapped happily, then picked up his fox and held it toward him. “Fox says thank you, Papa.” Yone bowed his head slightly to the stuffed animal. “You’re welcome, Fox.” Ezreal whispered, “Okay, I’m actually emotional now.” Sett laughed. “Same, dude. Same.”

And as Yuji went back to building tiny sand towers, Yone quietly stayed beside him, sleeves rolled up, knees in the sand, completely unbothered by the world around them.

-----

For a while, everything was perfect. Yuji and Yone were still in the sandbox, one focused, one patient, both covered in fine dust and completely happy. The rest of Heartsteel lounged on the bench nearby, basking in the calm. Then Ezreal’s smile froze. “Uh… guys,” he murmured quietly, lowering his sunglasses just enough to peek over them. Sett looked up. “What?” Ezreal tilted his head slightly toward the left side of the playground. “Two moms by the swings. They’ve been staring for, like… a solid minute.” K’Sante followed his gaze discreetly. Two women stood near the slide, whispering to each other. One of them was holding a phone. K’Sante frowned. “They look concerned.” Kayn turned halfway in his seat. “Maybe they just think it’s weird that five random dudes are hanging around a sandbox?” Ezreal hissed. “We’re not random! We’re disguised!” Sett muttered, “Yeah, terribly. You look like a pink traffic cone.” Ezreal shoved him lightly. “You look like a rejected bouncer.”
K’Sante interrupted calmly. “Focus. The one in the red jacket just pointed this way.” Kayn leaned back, lowering his voice. “Oh, yeah, they’re talking about us. Definitely talking.”
Aphelios raised his phone and typed: We might be compromised. Sett groaned. “Compromised? Bro, we’re not spies.”
“Tell that to Yone,” Ezreal whispered. “He’s literally building fortifications.” The mothers whispered again, glancing between Yone, Yuji, and the rest of the group. One frowned, clearly uneasy. K’Sante sighed. “It appears they may be misinterpreting the situation.”
Ezreal frowned. “Misinterpreting? How-ohhh.”
He straightened. “Right. Six masked men, no visible moms.” Kayn winced. “Yeah… that doesn’t look great.” Sett muttered, “Oh man, they probably think we kidnapped him.”
Ezreal’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, you’re right!”
“Calm down,” K’Sante said firmly. “Panicking will make it worse.” Yone, still kneeling in the sandbox, noticed their frantic whispering and turned his head slightly. “What is it?”
Sett gestured vaguely. “Uh, we might have a… small image problem.” Yone frowned. “Explain.” Ezreal whispered quickly, “There are some moms watching us. They look like they’re about to call someone.” Yone’s expression didn’t change, but his posture straightened ever so slightly. “Where?”
K’Sante nodded subtly toward the swing set. “Two o’clock.” Yone glanced, one look, quick, assessing, then turned back to Yuji, who was obliviously humming and pressing seashells into the sandcastle wall. “Yuji,” Yone said gently, “we will finish soon, alright?”
Yuji blinked up. “Fox wall not done!”
“Fox can finish next time,” Yone said softly, brushing some sand from his hair. “We must go.” Yuji’s lower lip wobbled. “Now?”
“Yes,” Yone said calmly. “Now.” Ezreal whispered, “Oh man, he’s doing that dad voice, that’s the serious one.” K’Sante stood smoothly. “We should leave discreetly.”
Sett stood too, adjusting his too-small hat. “Discreetly? Bro, you’re built like a tank.”
Kayn rolled his eyes. “Less talking, more walking.” Yone lifted Yuji from the sandbox, brushing the sand gently off his jacket. Yuji pouted but didn’t fight it. “Bye-bye, Fox castle,” he said sadly. “We’ll build another,” Yone promised quietly. Ezreal tugged his cap lower. “Okay, act casual. Totally normal family outing, not suspicious at all.” Sett muttered, “Dude, your wig’s on backwards.” K’Sante sighed. “This is hopeless.”

As they walked toward the park exit, Yone felt the eyes following them. One of the women whispered something into her phone.
He didn’t quicken his pace, just adjusted his hold on Yuji, posture calm but tense. Ezreal whispered, “She’s totally calling security or something.” Yone’s tone was even, quiet, but firm. “Then walk faster.” They picked up the pace just slightly, enough to look normal, but not enough to draw more attention. At the corner of the park, Yuji tugged on Yone’s jacket. “Papa, why hurry?” Yone softened immediately. “Because we have things to do, little one.” Yuji tilted his head. “Ice cream?”
Ezreal whispered, “You know what? That’s actually a great cover story.” Sett grinned. “Yeah, let’s go get ice cream before someone calls the cops on the band of ‘mysterious men with a child.’” Yone just sighed quietly.

The walk from the playground wasn’t long, but Yuji made it an adventure, skipping over every crack in the pavement, pointing at every bird, and holding his stuffed fox like a fellow explorer. “Papa!” he said suddenly, eyes lighting up. “Ice!” Yuji pointed excitedly at a small pastel-colored shop on the corner. The glass window glittered with cones, toppings, and bright letters that read FROST BITE ICE CREAM. “Papa, ice cream!” Yuji squealed. “Fox want blue one!” Ezreal grinned instantly. “I second that, Fox.” Yone hesitated. “It’s almost noon…” Sett clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Perfect ice cream time, bro.” Yone sighed, quiet but resigned. “…Fine.” Yuji cheered, pumping his tiny fist in the air. “Victory!”
They crossed the street together, a strangely coordinated (and not at all subtle) group of disguised rock stars trailing behind a happy child with a stuffed animal.

But what none of them noticed right away was that two familiar figures followed from across the street. They were whispering again, one with her phone half-raised, the other watching the group closely.
“Look, that’s him, the tall one,” one murmured. “He’s got the little boy again.”
“And the others? They don’t look like family. This is weird.”

Back inside the ice cream shop, Yuji pressed his face to the glass display case, eyes huge.
“Papa, look! Green one! Pink one! Blue one!”
Yone stood beside him, arms crossed loosely, looking at the menu. “Which do you want?”
“Blue!”
Ezreal leaned on the counter. “You heard the boss. One blue, one strawberry swirl, and one-”
K’Sante interrupted politely. “Perhaps we should let Yone order. His tone inspires confidence.” Sett grinned. “Yeah, man, you’re the dad. Do your thing.” Yone looked faintly unimpressed. “Very well.” He stepped to the counter, quietly elegant even while ordering ice cream. “One scoop of blueberry for the child, and-” Yuji tugged his sleeve. “Fox want taste!”
The cashier blinked, smiling nervously. “Uh… the fox wants a taste?” Yone exhaled slowly. “It’s a toy.”
“Right,” the cashier said quickly, pretending not to laugh. The others were struggling not to snicker behind him. Sett whispered, “He’s dying inside.” Ezreal whispered back, “But doing it gracefully.” When the cones were ready, Yuji held his proudly, already with a bright smear of blue on his nose.
“Papa, try!” he said, holding the cone up toward Yone. Yone leaned down and took the tiniest, most polite bite imaginable. “Good.”
Ezreal grinned. “That was the most formal ice cream bite I’ve ever seen.” K’Sante took a picture for memory’s sake. “Balance through sweetness.”

They found a table by the window, Yuji perched between Yone and Sett, swinging his legs while eating. It looked, for a moment, like the perfect little family snapshot, until Ezreal froze mid-lick of his own cone. “…Uh, guys?”
Kayn groaned. “Don’t tell me.” Ezreal tilted his head toward the window. “The moms are outside.” Sett turned just enough to see. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Sure enough, across the street, the two women were pretending to check their phones while clearly watching through the glass.
K’Sante rubbed his forehead. “Persistent.”
Ezreal whispered, “This is insane. They actually followed us!” Yone set down his cone slowly, his expression calm but dangerous. “They have followed since the park.”
Yuji blinked up, blue ice cream all over his face. “Who, Papa?” Yone softened immediately. “No one, little one. Eat your ice cream.”

K’Sante said quietly, “Panicking will only make it worse.” Kayn grinned. “Yeah, let’s all act natural while six dudes in disguises sit around a kid. Super convincing.” Ezreal whispered, “We need an exit plan.”
“Eat faster,” Yone said calmly. Yuji giggled. “Papa talk funny.” Yone sighed. “…Yes.”
As they finished, Yone wiped Yuji’s mouth gently with a napkin and stood up. “We’re leaving.” The others followed without question. But the moment they stepped outside, the two women also started walking, just a few steps behind. Ezreal whispered, “They’re still coming!” Sett muttered, “What do they think we are, a cult?” K’Sante frowned. “Possibly a boy band with suspicious parenting arrangements.” Kayn snorted. “Which… isn’t wrong.”

Yone didn’t say a word. He simply adjusted Yuji’s jacket and began walking calmly down the street, back straight, steps steady, the picture of composure. Ezreal whispered, “He’s pretending they don’t exist.” Sett said, “Yeah, but it’s working. Look at him. He’s too elegant to look suspicious.” Yuji tugged on Yone’s sleeve. “Papa, Fox sticky.”

Yone looked down and smiled faintly. “We’ll wash him when we get home.” Ezreal sighed, still glancing behind them. “Please let them give up soon…” K’Sante murmured, “Unlikely.”

They didn’t make it far before it happened.
Just as the group turned the corner, the two women hurried after them. One of them called out, “Excuse me! Sir!” Yone stopped immediately. Ezreal froze mid-step. Sett muttered under his breath, “Oh, no. It’s happening.” K’Sante sighed. “Proceed calmly.”
The women caught up quickly, both breathing hard but full of purpose. One of them, the one in the red coat, stepped forward. “Sorry to bother you, but… is everything alright with the child?” Yuji looked up, blinking with a mouthful of ice cream. “Hi.” Yone blinked once, expression neutral. “Yes. Everything is fine.”
The second woman frowned. “We just-well, we saw you at the park earlier. And then again here. And you were with… a group of men.”
Ezreal winced. “That sounds bad when you say it like that.” The first woman crossed her arms. “We’re just concerned. He keeps calling you ‘Papa,’ but-” Yone’s tone didn’t change, but something about it carried quiet authority.
“He calls me that because I am his father.”
Both women hesitated. “Oh.” Yuji smiled proudly. “Papa bought me ice cream!”
The woman blinked, clearly thrown off. “O-oh, that’s… good.” Sett muttered, “He’s doing better PR than all of us combined.”
Yone nodded once. “I appreciate your concern, but my son is safe. You may stop following us now.”
The first woman stammered, “Wait-‘your son’? But you’re-you’re-”
K’Sante stepped forward smoothly, saving her from finishing the sentence. “You are speaking to Yone, producer and leader of Heartsteel. This is his family.” Ezreal whispered, “Oh, he just dropped the full résumé.” Recognition dawned in both women’s faces. Their eyes widened, and the red-coated one gasped, “Oh my god… you are Heartsteel!”

Kayn groaned softly. “Here we go…” The second woman flushed bright red. “We-we thought you were-” Ezreal grinned. “Kidnappers, yeah. We got that vibe loud and clear.” The first woman looked mortified. “I’m so sorry! It’s just-six men, sunglasses, wigs, and the child-”
Yone exhaled through his nose, calm as ever. “Yes. The disguises were meant to prevent a scene.” Sett snorted quietly. “Irony’s dead.”
Yuji tugged on Yone’s sleeve. “Papa, they nice?”
“Yes,” Yone said softly. “Just… confused.”
Yuji nodded seriously and offered his half-eaten cone to the nearest woman. “You want?” The woman blinked, stunned. “Oh-oh no, that’s alright!” Yone took the cone back before it dripped onto her hand. “Yuji, no sharing.”
“Okay.” Yuji licked it again happily. “Fox sticky.”
Ezreal laughed under his breath. “Bro, even in public crisis mode, your kid’s chill.”
K’Sante gave the women a polite nod. “We appreciate your concern. Next time, perhaps approach directly rather than following.”
The women nodded furiously. “Yes! Of course! We’re so sorry!” Sett grinned. “No harm done. Happens all the time, honestly.” Ezreal whispered, “Does it?” Sett shrugged. “Now it does.”

The first woman turned back toward Yone, still blushing. “Your son’s adorable. We just-uh, didn’t realize.” Yone inclined his head slightly. “Thank you.” Yuji waved. “Bye-bye, nice ladies!”
They melted immediately. “Bye, sweetheart!”
As the women walked off, Ezreal let out a long breath of relief. “Okay, that could’ve been so much worse.” Kayn smirked. “She almost called the cops, man.” Sett laughed. “Imagine that headline, Heartsteel Kidnaps Child, Turns Out It’s Just Tuesday.” K’Sante sighed. “Public image preserved.” Yone adjusted Yuji’s scarf again, perfectly calm. “We are going home.”
Yuji nodded, still licking his melting ice cream. “Papa, can Fox get one too?”
“No,” Yone said simply, and started walking.
Ezreal laughed. “I can’t tell who’s more powerful, the dad or the toddler.” Kayn grinned. “Equal forces. Yin and yang.” Sett smirked. “Yeah- and we’re the unlucky background characters.”

As they walked off, Yone’s voice drifted back, calm and even: “If any of you post about this, you’ll regret it.” Ezreal gulped. “Noted.”
Yuji giggled. “Papa funny.” And with that, Operation Ice Cream came to a perfectly ridiculous, peaceful end, leaving behind two mortified fans, one very sticky child, and a band that knew they were never, ever taking Yuji in public again.

Chapter Text

The rain hadn’t stopped all morning. It came down in sheets against the windows, the sound drumming steady and loud enough to drown out most of the city. The Heartsteel apartment felt unusually quiet almost lazy.
Sett was sprawled across the couch, scrolling through his phone. Kayn sat upside down in an armchair, tossing a stress ball at the ceiling. Ezreal was half-asleep under a blanket. K’Sante was calmly reading the newspaper with tea. Aphelios was sketching something in a small notebook. And Yone… sat at the table, hands around his tea, silently watching the rain. No one had spoken for ten minutes. “This is depressing,” Ezreal finally muttered. Kayn threw the ball again. “We could write.” Sett yawned. “About what? ‘Rain is sad, please send sun’?” Ezreal groaned. “We need something fun to do.” Yuji, sitting on the floor with his stuffed fox, perked up. “Fun?”
Yone looked down at him. “Not outside, little one. It’s raining too heavily.” Yuji frowned, pressing his tiny nose against the window. “Fox sad.” K’Sante smiled faintly. “He is not alone.” Sett ruffled Yuji’s hair. “Don’t worry, little dude. We’ll find something cool.”
But the room drifted back to silence again, the sound of rain filling every corner.

Yuji sat for a while, humming to himself, then looked toward the hallway. The basement door was cracked open, something that normally stayed closed. He tilted his head. “Fox… explore?” Fox, naturally, didn’t argue.
Yuji got to his feet, holding the plush in one hand and carefully stepping toward the stairs. The wood creaked softly under his small feet.

No one followed. The basement stairs wound down into dim light, cool air, faint echoes, and the quiet hum of machinery somewhere below.
Yuji took one step. Then another. At the bottom of the stairs, he blinked. Lights flickered on automatically, revealing a wide, tiled room glowing faint blue. In the center sat a large sunken whirlpool, still and gleaming. The faint scent of lavender hung in the air.
Yuji gasped. “Water!” He ran forward, eyes huge, pointing dramatically with Fox. “Fox, we found secret bath!” Upstairs, Yone was just finishing his tea when the faintest shout echoed through the vents. “PAPA! FOX FOUND WATER!” Every head turned. Ezreal blinked. “...What?” Yone’s chair scraped back instantly.
K’Sante stood as well. “I believe your son has discovered the spa.” Sett’s eyes widened. “Oh no. Oh no no no-he found the spa?” Ezreal jumped up. Kayn groaned. Yone was already halfway to the door. “He shouldn’t be down there alone.” They followed in a hurry, the sound of small feet echoing from below.
By the time they reached the basement, Yuji was crouched by the hot tub, poking at the water surface with his hand. He looked utterly fascinated. “Papa, look!” he called happily. “Water warm! Fox swim!”

Yuji stood at the edge, his little socks damp from a few curious steps too close to the water. His stuffed fox dangled in one hand, its tail nearly touching the tiles. He leaned forward, eyes wide with wonder. “Papa! Fox jump!”
“Yuji, wait-”
But the boy bent his knees, ready to leap.
In one heartbeat, Yone was across the room. He caught Yuji around the waist just as his toes left the ground, lifting him safely away from the water’s edge. “Papa!” Yuji squeaked, surprised.vYone held him tight, tighter than usual. His heart had leapt to his throat. “You cannot do that,” he said quietly, but his voice trembled with restrained fear. “Never.”

Yuji blinked, confused. “But Fox want swim.”
Yone knelt, still holding him close. His tone stayed calm, but there was a sharpness behind it that made the others stop talking.
“Yuji,” he said carefully, “this water is deeper than you. If you fell, you couldn’t stand up. You could drown.” The words were soft, but the weight behind them made Yuji’s smile fade. His hands tightened around Fox. “Drown?” he whispered. Yone nodded slightly. “It means you couldn’t breathe.” Yuji’s eyes went wide. “Oh…” Yone sighed quietly and rested a hand on the back of his son’s head. “That’s why you must never go into deep water alone. Not without me. Ever.”

Yuji leaned against him, small and silent now. “Sorry, Papa.” Yone exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders slowly. “You’re safe. That’s what matters.” Behind them, Ezreal whispered, “Man… that was fast. He moved like lightning.” Sett nodded, a bit pale. “Yeah, if he hadn’t caught him…” K’Sante finished for him, voice low. “It could have ended badly.”
Aphelios simply typed something on his phone and turned the screen around:
Lesson learned.
Yone stood, still holding Yuji against his shoulder. “You understand now?” Yuji nodded quietly. “No jump alone.”
“Good,” Yone said softly. “We’ll do it properly. But first, you need to change clothes.”
Yuji blinked up. “Fox too?”
“Yes. Fox too.” Sett smiled weakly. “Kid’s got nerves of steel.” Ezreal exhaled. “And Yone’s got reflexes of a cat.” K’Sante nodded. “And the discipline of one, too.” Yone turned toward the stairs, Yuji still resting safely in his arms. “We’ll be back.”
Kayn let out a long sigh. “Okay, not gonna lie, that scared me a little.” Ezreal nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never seen Yone move that fast in my life.”
Sett folded his arms. “He’s a dad. Dads have superpowers.”

---

Yone stood in the hallway, holding a towel under one arm, Yuji under the other, and looking very much like a man facing his next great challenge. “Papa, Fox ready!” Yuji announced proudly, holding the plush toy by the tail. Yone glanced down at the toy, now wrapped in one of the smaller towels like an honored guest. “Good. Now you must be ready too.” Yuji squirmed in his arms. “I already ready!”
“No,” Yone said patiently. “You are wearing socks, a sweater, and half of breakfast.”
Ezreal, leaning casually against the doorway, grinned. “Need backup, Dad?”
Yone gave him a sharp look. “You could help by not speaking.” Ezreal raised both hands, laughing. “Got it. Silent observer mode.”
K’Sante handed Yone a small bag. “Found your children’s swim trunks.” Yone sighed. “Very well. Thank you.” He set Yuji down carefully, crouching to his level. “Alright, little one. Arms up.” Yuji giggled and did the opposite, crossing them instead. “No, like Fox!”
“Arms up,” Yone repeated calmly.
Yuji grinned wider. “Arms sideways!”
“Yuji.”
“Okay!” Yone managed to peel off the sweater. Yuji immediately tried to bolt. “Fox check pool!” he shouted, heading for the door in nothing but his undershirt. Yone caught him by the hood mid-run. “Fox waits until you are ready.” Yuji pouted. “Fox bored.”
“Fox will survive.” Ezreal was silently crying with laughter in the background. Yone finally got him into the small trunks, turned to grab his own bag and froze when Yuji ran again, now barefoot and triumphant. “Papa too slow!”
“Yuji,” Yone said warningly, already moving after him. By the time he caught him again, Yuji was giggling so hard he could barely stand. “You are impossible,” Yone muttered, but there was no real anger in it. He knelt, holding the boy steady as he wiped his face with a towel. “There. Done.” Yuji smiled proudly. “Fox ready too!”
“Excellent,” Yone said dryly, standing. “Now I must change.”
He looked toward the others. “Do not let him escape again.” Ezreal saluted. “Aye, Captain Calm.” Kayn smirked. “We’ll form a perimeter.”
Yone gave them both a flat look, then disappeared into the next room. Yuji immediately turned to the others. “Papa take too long.” Sett grinned. “He’s gotta make sure the hairstyle matches the swimwear, kid.”
Yuji frowned seriously. “Papa got hair?”
Ezreal laughed. “Too much, actually.”
A few minutes later, Yone reappeared, calm, composed, and somehow still perfectly elegant even in simple black swim shorts and a towel draped over his shoulder. The entire band went silent. Ezreal whispered, “Why does he look like he’s about to shoot a perfume ad?”
Sett muttered, “Man even makes pool gear look dramatic.”Yuji gasped, eyes wide. “Papa! You swim now!”
Yone smiled faintly. “Yes. And now you may, too, properly this time.” He picked Yuji up again, the boy’s excitement instantly infectious. “Fox ready!” Yuji shouted.
“Fox ready,” Yone agreed. Ezreal grinned. “Alright, boys, to the spa!” Kayn smirked. “I give it ten minutes before someone floods the basement.” Yone didn’t even glance at him. “If that happens, it will be you.” Kayn laughed. “Fair.”
And with that, Yone carried Yuji back down the stairs, both now properly dressed.

The steam rolled gently across the surface of the spa as Yone stepped into the water first, one careful foot at a time. The warmth spread instantly, swirling faintly around him. Yuji clung to his shoulder like a tiny barnacle, wide-eyed and thrilled. “Papa, warm!”
“Yes,” Yone murmured, his voice calm but tight with focus. “Hold on to me. The water is deep.” Yuji looked down at the shimmering ripples below. His toes barely brushed the surface. “Yuji can’t touch floor!”
“That’s why Papa holds you,” Yone said softly, adjusting his grip. Yuji giggled and wrapped his little arms around his father’s neck. “Fox wanna swim too!” Yone sighed quietly. “Fox will stay dry for now.” He moved slowly toward the middle of the pool, the water reaching almost to his chest. He kept one arm around Yuji at all times, the other steadying the boy’s back whenever he squirmed.
“Papa, spin!” Yuji chirped. Yone blinked. “No.”
“Just little spin?” Yone exhaled, a long-suffering sound that almost hid the faint smile tugging at his lips. He turned once, carefully, making a slow circle through the warm water. Yuji squealed with laughter, kicking his feet. “Papa spin good!”
“Thank you,” Yone said dryly. “Now-calm movements, remember?” Yuji nodded eagerly, then immediately splashed a handful of water into the air. “Rain inside!” Yone blinked once as a small wave hit his shoulder. “...So it seems.” He held Yuji closer, ensuring his chin stayed well above the surface. The water was far too deep for the boy to manage alone, deep enough that even Yone’s arms felt heavier keeping him steady. Still, Yuji giggled, eyes bright and fearless.

Upstairs, the faint sound of footsteps and muffled voices echoed through the stairwell.
“Five minutes,” Ezreal was saying. “He couldn’t wait five minutes?” Sett’s voice followed. “Bro, it’s Yone. You think he relaxes?” K’Sante’s calm tone came next. “He was simply ensuring safety. You should hurry.”
Then came Kayn, shouting, “IF THERE’S NO WATER LEFT WHEN WE GET DOWN THERE, I SWEAR-” Their footsteps grew louder until finally the door opened. Steam poured out, and five very different figures appeared, all in various, mismatched swimwear. Ezreal was in designer board shorts and a gold chain.
Sett had opted for bright red trunks and a towel over his shoulders like a cape. Kayn had gone all black (of course), looking like a moody lifeguard. K’Sante looked dignified as always, even in plain blue. Aphelios, silent, carried a tray of drinks because of course he did.

“Yo!” Sett called as they entered. “You started without us!” Yone didn’t even turn. “He was impatient.” Yuji spotted them instantly, waving with one free hand. “Uncles! Look! Papa swim!” Ezreal grinned. “Oh my god, he’s in the pool.”vKayn blinked. “Holding the kid like he’s a sacred relic.”
“Because he is,” Yone said flatly. Sett laughed. “You look so serious, man. It’s a hot tub, not a stealth mission!” Yone ignored them, adjusting Yuji again as the boy kicked his legs in the water. “Careful.” Yuji giggled, splashing gently. “Papa, water move funny!” Ezreal kicked off his flip-flops and dipped a toe in. “Oh, that’s nice. Why didn’t we do this sooner?”
“Because none of you read the building manual,” K’Sante said calmly, stepping in after him. Sett cannonballed in or tried to. The splash hit everyone. Yone blinked, utterly soaked, still holding Yuji out of reach of the spray. “Sett,” Yone said calmly, “if you splash him again, I will make you clean this entire room.” Sett froze mid-laugh. “Noted.”
Ezreal was laughing too hard to stay standing. “You’re like a security system with abs!”
Yone ignored him completely. “Yuji, keep your head up.” Yuji nodded, holding onto Yone’s shoulders tightly. “Fox watch Papa!”
Kayn finally slid into the water on the far side, smirking. “So this is how Heartsteel spends rainy days, luxury and babysitting.”
Yone’s voice stayed level. “Supervision. Not babysitting.”
“Sure,” Kayn said, floating backward. “Keep telling yourself that, Dadpool.”
Ezreal snorted so hard he almost inhaled water. “Dadpool!” Sett grinned. “Oh, that’s sticking.” Yone exhaled through his nose.
Yuji giggled again, oblivious to everything except the water. “Papa funny.”

Across the pool, the rest of Heartsteel had finally stopped moving long enough to relax.
Sett leaned back against the tile edge with a deep sigh. “Man, I could live in here.”
Ezreal floated near the steps with his head back. “Rain outside, hot water inside, no fans, no managers… this is paradise.” Kayn was sprawled out with his arms along the rim, eyes half-closed. “Finally, a day where we don’t have to do anything.” Aphelios, of course, had brought his phone sealed in a waterproof case and was scrolling calmly, probably already making a playlist. K’Sante sipped from a cup of tea he had somehow brought down, completely composed. “A rare day of stillness. We should enjoy it.”
“Music,” Ezreal said suddenly, sitting up a little. “We need music.” Sett grinned. “You read my mind.”
“Nothing loud,” Yone said instantly.
Kayn smirked. “Don’t worry, Dadpool, no mosh pits today.” Ezreal grabbed his phone, scrolled a moment, and pressed play. Soft lo-fi beats filled the room, gentle bass, quiet synth, the sound of rain mixing perfectly with it.
“Oh, that’s good,” Sett said, eyes closing again. “This is, like… main character relaxation music.” Ezreal smirked. “I am the main character.”
“Delusional,” Kayn muttered.
K’Sante smiled faintly. “Let him have his fantasy.” Yone leaned his head slightly back, finally allowing himself to breathe. The music hummed low through the air, blending with the sound of bubbling water. Yuji hummed along quietly, splashing his feet. “Papa, song sleepy.”
“Yes,” Yone said softly. “It is.” Yuji blinked up at him. “Papa sleepy?”
“Not yet.” Sett chuckled. “Give him five minutes.” Ezreal grinned. “Bro’s gonna meditate himself to sleep.” Yuji leaned against Yone’s shoulder, eyes half-closing. “Fox sleepy too…” Yone adjusted his hold automatically, pulling him a little closer, keeping his head above water.

The others went quiet for a moment, just the sound of soft music, the bubbling spa, and the rain. Aphelios raised his phone and typed a single word: Peace.
K’Sante nodded. “For once, I agree.”
Ezreal sighed happily. “We should do this every storm day.” Sett smirked. “Only if Yone makes hot tea for everyone after.”
Yone, without opening his eyes, said calmly, “I already regret this plan.” Kayn laughed softly. “He says that every time he’s actually happy.”
Yuji yawned quietly against Yone’s chest, voice drowsy. “Papa, I like rain day.” Yone looked down at him, brushing a hand over his wet hair. “…So do I.”

The music played softly in the background calm, steady, blending with the quiet hiss of bubbles. Yuji had gone quiet for a while, head resting against Yone’s shoulder, eyes half-closed. He looked perfectly content.
Then, suddenly, his small voice broke the silence. “Papa?” Yone glanced down. “Yes, little one?” Yuji blinked sleepily up at him. “Can Yuji swim now?” The entire pool went still.
Yone blinked once. “Swim?” Yuji nodded seriously. “Yuji big now. Fox say I can swim.”
Sett snorted immediately. “Oh no, here we go again with the fox logic.” Ezreal grinned. “Fox has big dreams, man.” Yone’s tone stayed calm, but his eyes sharpened slightly. “Yuji, you cannot swim yet.” Yuji frowned. “Why?”
“Because,” Yone said gently, “you don’t know how. And the water is too deep.” Yuji looked at the pool suspiciously. “It not too deep for Papa.”
“No,” Yone agreed softly, “but Papa is tall. You are small. You must learn first.”
Yuji pouted. “But I can try!” K’Sante, ever the diplomat, spoke up in his calm, resonant voice. “Learning to swim is like learning a song, young one. You start slow, until your body remembers the rhythm.” Yuji turned to look at him, blinking. “Song water?”
Ezreal smiled. “Yeah! The water has rhythm. You just have to learn to dance with it.”
Kayn rolled his eyes. “He’s gonna think it’s an actual dance now.” Yuji gasped. “Fox dance in water!”

Yone sighed quietly, closing his eyes for a moment. “…I regret allowing this conversation.” Sett chuckled, stretching. “Come on, Yone. It’s just curiosity. The kid’s fearless.”
“That is precisely the problem,” Yone said, voice calm but firm. He shifted Yuji slightly higher in his arms, keeping his little hands above the surface. “If you want to swim someday, you must learn safely. I will teach you. But not today.” Yuji’s lip wobbled. “Not today?” Yone brushed a few damp strands of hair from his forehead. “You are to small, and you nearly jumped into deep water this morning. I think that’s enough excitement for one day.” The others were trying not to laugh.
Ezreal whispered to Sett, “Dad voice, level 100.” Sett nodded. “You could bottle that tone and sell it to babysitters.” Yuji sighed dramatically. “Fox sad.” Yone smiled faintly. “Fox will live.” Yuji looked up again. “But… Papa teach me soon?” Yone’s eyes softened. “Yes. When you’re ready.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” Yuji smiled sleepily. “Okay. Fox happy now.”
Ezreal melted instantly. “He’s so cute I can’t handle it.” Kayn grinned. “You say that every five minutes.”
“Because it’s true!” K’Sante sipped his tea. “Balance restored once again.”
Sett stretched, closing his eyes. “Man, this day went from near drowning to spa therapy real fast.”
“Let’s keep it that way,” Yone said quietly, adjusting Yuji again as the little boy rested his head on his shoulder.

Outside, thunder rolled softly, but the warmth of the water and the faint hum of music made it feel a world away. Yuji mumbled one last sleepy word, barely audible. “Papa swim later…” Yone smiled faintly, his voice almost a whisper. “Later.”

The water had gone quiet again, just the low hum of the jets and the gentle rhythm of rain against the windows above.
Yuji was calm now, sitting snugly in Yone’s arms, his little hands playing with the bubbles.
Ezreal tilted his head, watching them for a moment. “You’ve been holding him the whole time.” Yone didn’t look up. “He can’t stand in the water.” “I know,” Ezreal said, smiling faintly, “but, man… your arms must be dead by now.”
Sett leaned back against the edge. “Yeah, you look like you’re doing a workout instead of relaxing.” K’Sante nodded. “Perhaps you should allow someone else to hold him for a while. Balance requires rest as well.”
Yone glanced at them, skeptical. “You?”
Kayn snorted. “Oh, no. Not me. I like having both shoulders intact.”
Ezreal grinned. “I’ll do it! Kids love me.”
Sett laughed. “Yeah, they love you until you drop them.”
“Excuse me!” Ezreal huffed. “I’m perfectly responsible.”
“Fox says no,” Yuji piped up.
Ezreal gasped. “Fox betrayed me!”
K’Sante sighed. “I shall do it, then.”
Yone shook his head. “You don’t have to-”
But K’Sante had already moved closer, his deep calm radiating through the water. “I have nieces. I’m familiar with this,” he said quietly.
Yone hesitated, then gave a short nod. “…Alright.” He adjusted Yuji gently, supporting him with both hands before passing him carefully into K’Sante’s waiting arms.
Yuji giggled as the transfer happened, water sloshing slightly. “Uncle big!” K’Sante smiled warmly. “Bigger than most. But not as patient as your father.” Yone rolled his shoulders subtly, the first sign of relief he’d shown all afternoon. Ezreal whistled. “Look at that, the mighty producer finally taking a break.”
Sett smirked. “Told you, he’s got superhero dad energy. Even Superman needs a rest.”
Yuji, meanwhile, was busy splashing small waves toward Kayn. “Uncle Kayn, look! Water attack!” Kayn caught the splash with his hand and flicked it back. “Counterattack!”
Yuji squealed with laughter, splashing harder.
Ezreal joined in immediately. “Water war! Let’s go!”
Yone sighed. “No-”
Too late. Within seconds, the calm spa had turned into a miniature storm. Sett was laughing so hard he almost slipped, Ezreal was pretending to “shield” himself with a towel, and Yuji was cackling like a tiny general in command of chaos. K’Sante, still holding the boy steadily above the waves, looked resigned but amused. “You see what you’ve started, young one?” Yuji giggled, throwing one last handful of water in Ezreal’s direction. “Fox win!” Ezreal laughed. “Okay, yeah- Fox wins. I surrender.” K’Sante smiled, passing Yuji back to Yone, who was already standing ready. “Here. He grows more powerful with each victory.” Yone took him gently. “I noticed.”
Yuji snuggled into his shoulder again, content and sleepy now that the excitement was over.
Sett leaned his head back, still laughing softly. “You know, this is probably the best day off we’ve ever had.” Ezreal nodded, water dripping down his hair. “Yeah. Didn’t think babysitting could be this relaxing.” K’Sante smiled faintly. “It depends entirely on the child.”
Yuji yawned, tiny and warm against Yone’s neck. “Papa win too…”
Yone chuckled quietly, that low, soft sound that caught everyone off guard. “Perhaps we both did.”

Yuji was yawning now, head resting lazily on Yone’s shoulder, his little hands still clutching Fox. Sett watched him with a grin. “He looks half-asleep.” Yone nodded. “He is.”
“Mind if I hold him for a bit?” Sett asked, leaning forward slightly. Yone hesitated. “He’s heavy when he’s this tired.” Sett laughed. “Please. I can bench press two of him. Easy.”
Ezreal smirked. “Famous last words.”
Yone sighed quietly but nodded. “Very well. Be careful.” He shifted Yuji gently, passing him into Sett’s waiting arms. The boy went without complaint, drowsy, trusting, still clutching his toy. Sett leaned back, supporting him easily against his chest. “See? Piece of cake.”
Yuji blinked up at him, eyes half-lidded but curious. “Uncle Sett big.” Sett grinned. “Yeah, I get that a lot.” Yuji blinked again, then reached up,small fingers patting curiously at the side of Sett’s head. Sett froze. “Uh… what’s he-”
Ezreal burst into laughter. “Oh my god, he’s touching your ears!” Indeed, Yuji was gently poking at one of Sett’s fuzzyvears, fascinated. “Soft…” he murmured in wonder. Sett’s face went pink immediately. “H-hey, careful with those! Sensitive equipment!” Yuji giggled, still touching the tips. “Tickle?”
“Yeah, kinda!” Sett said, half laughing, half trying not to flinch. “Man, you’re lucky you’re cute.” Ezreal had completely lost it now. “He’s got you cornered!” Kayn smirked. “Guess we found the one thing that breaks the champ’s composure.”
“Shut it,” Sett muttered, trying to look calm while Yuji very seriously inspected both ears now,turning one between his fingers like a small scientist. “Fox got ears too,” Yuji said proudly, showing the plush. “Uncle Sett fox?”
The entire room went silent for half a second, then exploded. Ezreal actually choked. “UNCLE SETT FOX! I’m dead!” K’Sante covered his mouth, fighting back a laugh. “The resemblance is… undeniable.” Kayn leaned against the wall, grinning. “That’s your new nickname now, man. Uncle Fox.” Sett groaned, but he couldn’t stop smiling as Yuji patted his cheek gently. “Uncle Fox funny,” Yuji declared, giggling.
“Yeah, yeah,” Sett muttered, trying to look grumpy and failing. “You’re lucky I like you, little guy.”

Yone just shook his head, clearly torn between exhaustion and amusement. “He’s fascinated by textures,” he said dryly.

Kayn stretched in the corner, smirking. “Alright, my turn. Let me hold the kid before he passes out completely.” Sett raised an eyebrow. “You? Man, you hold a guitar like it’s a weapon. This is not the same thing.” Kayn rolled his eyes. “Please. I can handle one tiny human. Hand him over.” Yone looked up from across the pool, expression instantly skeptical. “Are you sure that’s wise?”
“Totally,” Kayn said confidently, extending his arms. Sett shrugged and carefully passed Yuji over. “Your funeral.” Yuji blinked sleepily, adjusting to his new perch. “Uncle Kayn cold…”
Kayn froze. “Wha-hey, I’m not cold! The water’s warm!” Ezreal snorted. “He means emotionally.” Yuji giggled weakly, clutching his fox again. “Fox say no cuddle.”
“Fox is rude,” Kayn muttered. Ezreal grinned. “Okay, enough. Give him here before you drop him.”
“I’m not gonna drop him!” Kayn said indignantly and immediately shifted his grip in the most awkward way possible.
“Dude-” Sett started, but Ezreal was already moving. “Nope, nope, hand him over. I got it.”
Yone’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Ezreal-”
“Relax,” Ezreal said with a grin, reaching out. “I’ve done photoshoots with kids before. I know how to-whoa-” The moment Yuji’s weight shifted into his arms, Ezreal’s confident smile vanished.

“Okay, he’s-he’s heavier than he looks-!”
Yuji made a tiny squeak of surprise as Ezreal’s arms dropped a few centimeters. “Don’t drop him!” Yone’s voice cut through the room like a whip, calm but with the kind of force that froze everyone instantly. Ezreal’s eyes went wide. “I got him! I got him! Totally fine! Everything’s fine!” Sett was already half-standing. “Bro, you’re tilting!” K’Sante set down his teacup. “Adjust your stance. Lower your center of gravity.” Aphelios was already filming.
Ezreal tried to shift his grip and nearly lost balance again. “Oh my god, why is he dense?! He’s like holding a baby made of bricks!”
Yuji blinked up at him, utterly calm. “Fox heavy too.”
“Y-yeah, I believe it,” Ezreal said through gritted teeth. Kayn laughed so hard he nearly inhaled water. “You can’t even bench thirty pounds!”
“Shut up! He’s slippery!” Yone was already moving across the pool with quiet precision. “Enough.”

Before Ezreal could protest, Yone reached out, smoothly taking Yuji back into his arms like it was nothing. The child immediately relaxed against his shoulder, safe and content again.
Yone’s voice was soft but unmistakably stern. “Do not handle him unless you are prepared to hold on.” Ezreal looked genuinely sheepish. “Yeah… yeah, that’s fair. My bad.” Sett snickered. “Told you he’s heavier than he looks.” K’Sante nodded. “Compact strength. Like his father.”

Kayn wiped his eyes, still laughing. “Oh, man, that was beautiful. You almost dropped the boss’s kid on camera.” Aphelios turned his phone around silently. The caption he’d typed already read:
‘Live footage of Ezreal learning gravity exists.’
Ezreal groaned. “Delete that!” Yuji yawned against Yone’s neck. Kayn leaned back, still grinning. “Okay, note to self, never volunteer for babysitting duty again.”
“Wise decision,” Yone said quietly, smoothing Yuji’s hair. Ezreal sighed. “Alright, alright. I’ll just stick to singing.” Sett smirked. “Good idea, bro. At least then the worst you can drop is a note.”

The room filled with quiet laughter again as Yone sat back down, Yuji already half-asleep in his arms, safe, warm, and completely unaware of the small heart attack he’d just caused.

Chapter Text

It started like every one of Heartsteel’s bad ideas: with Ezreal standing in the middle of the living room, too confident for his own good. “Alright, guys, hear me out,” he said, spinning around dramatically. “We all love Yuji, right?” Kayn frowned from the couch. “Define love.” Ezreal ignored him. “And we all agree Yone doesn’t trust us with him.” Sett laughed. “Yeah, for good reason.” Ezreal pointed at him. “Exactly! Which is why we need to prove him wrong.” K’Sante looked up from his tea. “And how do you propose we do that?” Ezreal grinned. “Easy. We take turns babysitting. One day each.” There was a long pause.

Kayn leaned forward. “You want us to voluntarily look after a three-year-old? The same one who turned my guitar strings into a slingshot?” Ezreal waved a hand. “Details. We can handle him.” Sett snorted. “Bro, last week you panicked because he sneezed on your shoes.”
“Those were limited edition,” Ezreal said indignantly. “And besides, Yone’s busy, we can totally do this! It’s wholesome, it’s team-building, it’s-”
“Terrifying,” Kayn muttered. K’Sante smiled faintly. “It might teach us something about patience.”
“Exactly!” Ezreal said, snapping his fingers. “See? K’Sante gets it.”
“Absolutely not,” Yone’s voice said from the doorway. Everyone froze.

He was standing there, calm as ever, arms folded, the kind of expression that said I already regret existing in the same room as this conversation. Ezreal smiled nervously. “Heh… morning, boss! We were just-uh-discussing leadership training!”
Yone raised an eyebrow. “You mean babysitting my son.” Sett coughed. “Semantics.” K’Sante nodded solemnly. “We wish to prove our reliability.” Yone blinked once. “By taking turns… alone… with Yuji.”
“Exactly,” Ezreal said brightly. “Each of us gets a day! You know, like a challenge!”
“A challenge,” Yone repeated flatly. Yuji’s small voice piped up from the hallway. “Papa?”
He toddled in, clutching his fox plush and smiling sleepily. “What’s challenge?”
Ezreal crouched down, smiling. “It means you get to play with each of us! One at a time!”
Yuji gasped. “Really?” Yone sighed quietly. “…It seems so.”
“Yay!” Yuji clapped. “Fox say fun!” Ezreal grinned. “See? He’s into it!” Yone looked at the group. “This is a mistake.” Sett shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s happening.” Yone sighed. “Fine. But one at a time. One day each. If I come home to chaos, it ends immediately.”
Ezreal saluted. “You got it, boss.”
“Who’s first?” Kayn asked. Yone didn’t even hesitate. “Ezreal.” Ezreal blinked. “...Me?”
“You suggested it,” Yone said calmly. “You can start.” Sett laughed. “Oh, this is gonna be good.” Ezreal pointed to himself. “Me. Example. Easy. How hard can it be?”
Yuji tugged on his sleeve. “Uncle Ez play?”
Ezreal smiled brightly, ruffling his hair. “You bet, little dude. We’re gonna have the best day tomorrow ever.” Yone muttered under his breath, “I doubt that.”

---

Ezreal woke up the next morning like a man with a mission. He threw open the curtains dramatically, sunlight bursting into the room, and pointed at his reflection in the mirror.
“Today,” he said to himself, “I prove that I, Ezreal, am a responsible adult.” He paused.
“…Or at least responsible-adjacent.”
He brushed his hair, straightened his jacket, added just a hint of cologne, and winked at himself. “Perfect. Babysitting-ready.”
Downstairs, Yone was sitting at the table with Yuji on his lap, the boy happily spooning cereal while Fox sat beside the bowl. Yone looked up when Ezreal entered. His expression was unreadable.
“You’re early.” Ezreal flashed a grin. “Punctuality is part of responsibility!”
“Is it,” Yone said flatly. He stood, gently lifting Yuji from his lap and setting him down. “Remember, little one-if anything happens, call me.” Yuji nodded. “Papa no worry!”
Yone’s eyes flicked to Ezreal. “I will worry.”
Ezreal raised both hands. “Relax, boss! I got this. I’ve seen enough parenting videos online to know how this works.”
“That’s exactly what worries me,” Yone said calmly, putting on his coat.

Sett, leaning against the counter with his coffee, smirked. “You’re gonna last ten minutes.” Ezreal shot him a look. “I’ll last the whole day, thank you very much.” Yone sighed, kneeling in front of Yuji one last time. “Listen to your uncle. Be kind. No mischief.”
Yuji blinked innocently. “Okay.”
Yone didn’t believe that for a second. “Goodbye.” The door closed softly behind him.
Ezreal turned to Yuji with both hands on his hips. “Alright, kiddo! Day one of Uncle Ez babysitting! What do you wanna do first?”
Yuji tilted his head. “Fox say play.”
“Play, huh? Easy. What kind of play?” Yuji’s face lit up. “Outside!” Ezreal hesitated. “O-outside? You mean, like… fresh air and nature?” Yuji nodded seriously. “Fox say sunshine good.” Ezreal sighed dramatically. “Okay, but I’m not getting my sneakers dirty. We’ll… compromise.”

Ten minutes later.

Ezreal stood in the courtyard of the apartment complex, holding Yuji’s small backpack in one hand and his own camera in the other. “Okay,” he said to the device. “We’re doing a babysitting vlog! Heartsteel’s image upgrade: wholesome edition.” He crouched down next to Yuji, smiling wide. “Say hi to the camera!”
Yuji waved. “Hi camera! Fox wave too!”
Ezreal grinned. “Perfect! So, first activity-playing tag! Because exercise builds character, right?” Yuji gasped. “Yuji fast!”
“Sure, kid. Let’s see-” He didn’t even finish before Yuji took off sprinting.
“Hey! Wait-Yuji!!” Ezreal ran after him, tripping over the backpack strap, nearly dropping the camera. Yuji darted around the garden path like a tiny blur, laughing wildly. “Fox win! Fox win!”
“Fox cheats!” Ezreal panted. Yuji stopped abruptly, turned around, and held up the plush. “Fox say you slow!” Ezreal pointed dramatically. “Oh, it’s on!” They raced again or rather, Yuji raced while Ezreal gasped for breath, hair sticking to his forehead.
By the time Yuji finally stopped, Ezreal was on his knees. “Okay… pause… Uncle Ez needs… medical attention…” Yuji giggled, poking his shoulder. “You old?” Ezreal glared halfheartedly. “Rude.” Yuji sat cross-legged beside him, Fox perched in his lap. “Fox say snack time.” Ezreal perked up. “Snack time! Now that’s a good idea.” He opened Yuji’s backpack, scanning the contents: fruit, crackers, apple juice and a small lunchbox Yone had packed. “Wow,” Ezreal said softly. “Yone wasn’t kidding, this is organized.”
Yuji reached for the juice box. “Fox thirsty.”
Ezreal smiled. “You and me both, buddy.”
He reached into his own bag and pulled out a can of energy drink. “Fox drink too?” Yuji asked curiously. Ezreal laughed. “Uh, no. Definitely not. You’d be bouncing off the ceiling.” Yuji tilted his head. “What’s ceiling?”
“The… sky inside.” Yuji gasped in awe. “Fox wanna bounce sky inside!”
“Bad idea,” Ezreal said quickly, snatching the can away. “Let’s stick with juice, yeah?”
Yuji nodded solemnly. “Fox say juice good.”
They sat together on the bench, Ezreal sipping his drink, Yuji happily chewing crackers and for a moment, it was… peaceful.
Birds chirped. The breeze was soft. Yuji leaned against him, humming to himself. Ezreal smiled faintly. “Huh. Maybe this isn’t so hard after all.”

For almost ten full minutes, things were perfect. The sun was warm, Yuji was quiet, and Ezreal was already mentally drafting the title for his vlog: “Heartsteel Babysitting Challenge- wholesome chaos (gone right!)”
He leaned back on the bench, stretching. “See, this is easy,” he said proudly. “I don’t get what Yone’s always so worried about.” Yuji nodded solemnly, finishing the last cracker. “Fox say good job.”
“Thank you, Fox,” Ezreal said, raising his can in mock salute. He turned to adjust the camera for a “we’re doing great” shot… and that was his first mistake. Behind him, Yuji rummaged in Ezreal’s bag, quiet, methodical, suspiciously confident for a three-year-old. When Ezreal turned back around, Yuji was already holding a tall, silver can with glowing blue letters.
Ezreal froze. “Wait-waitwaitWAIT-what’s that?”
Yuji smiled brightly. “Fox find shiny juice!”
“Oh no.” Ezreal lunged, but Yuji giggled and twisted away, tiny fingers popping the tab open. PSSSHHT! The hiss of carbonation filled the air.
Ezreal panicked. “No no no, that’s not juice! That’s-”
Yuji took one massive gulp. Ezreal’s soul left his body. For a moment, nothing happened.
Yuji blinked up at him, calm, innocent. “Fox say spicy.” Then it hit.
His pupils dilated. “Uh-oh,” Ezreal whispered.
Yuji looked down at his hands, eyes wide. “Fox… strong.”
“Okay, okay, don’t panic,” Ezreal said quickly, crouching beside him. “You only had one sip-”
Yuji shot to his feet. “FOX FAST!” And then he ran. “YUJI-!” Ezreal chased after him, camera swinging wildly around his neck. “No no no no-stop running like a tiny rocket!” Yuji dashed around the courtyard, practically vibrating, yelling at the top of his lungs. “FOX POWER! FOX POWER!”
“Okay, okay, lesson learned, never underestimate a small child on caffeine-”
Yuji skidded to a halt in front of a flowerbed, crouched dramatically, and whispered, “Fox say climb.” Ezreal blinked. “…Oh no.”
“Fox say climb tree!”
“Absolutely not-” Yuji was already halfway up.
“YUJI!” Ezreal ran over, arms out like a goalie. “Come down from there right now, your dad’s gonna kill me!” Yuji hung from a branch, giggling. “Fox can fly!”
“FOX CANNOT FLY!” He managed to grab Yuji’s leg before he could leap, pulling him down carefully but Yuji was still buzzing like a live wire. “Fox need run more!” he shouted, taking off again. Ezreal groaned, clutching his hair. “Why does he sound like me after two concerts?!”

He finally caught up, scooped Yuji up under one arm like a squirming puppy, and plopped him back on the bench. “Okay, time-out! No more shiny juice!” Yuji pouted, tail flicking. “Fox sad.”
“Fox is grounded,” Ezreal said flatly. Yuji gasped. “Nooo!”
“Fox made bad choices,” Ezreal said, trying to sound like Yone. “And so did Yuji.”
Yuji crossed his arms, muttering. “Papa not say that.”
“Oh, trust me,” Ezreal sighed. “He will.”
He sat back, running a hand through his hair, still out of breath. Yuji bounced his legs, fidgeting like a tiny tornado.
Ezreal groaned. “Okay, new plan: indoor activities only. Somewhere safe. Somewhere soft. Somewhere that won’t get me fired as a godfather figure.” Yuji raised his hand immediately. “Fox say dance!” Ezreal blinked. “…Dance?” Yuji nodded seriously. “Fox like music!” Ezreal hesitated, then smiled. “Okay, that… might actually work.”
He picked up the camera again. “Alright, audience. New plan: cardio time is over, music time begins.” Yuji clapped. “Fox dance!”
Ezreal set up a speaker, scrolled through his playlist and accidentally hit Heartsteel’s latest single. The bass dropped, Yuji gasped, and chaos began anew.

Ezreal had expected a little dancing. Maybe some cute clapping. A few jumps. He did not expect this. The moment the first bass drop hit, Yuji exploded into motion, spinning in circles, flailing his arms like he was leading an army. “FOX DANCE!!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. Ezreal blinked, camera halfway up. “Oh my-okay, who taught him rhythm?!”
Yuji didn’t answer. He was too busy breakdancing in the middle of the living room.

He spun. He leapt. He struck poses like he was onstage. Every time the beat changed, he adapted perfectly, pure chaos in motion.
“FOX! JUMP!” And he did, onto the couch, off the couch, onto a pillow fortress that had absolutely not existed five minutes ago.
“Whoa-whoa-careful-!” Ezreal scrambled to follow him. “Okay, maybe less parkour, more choreography!” Yuji ignored him completely. “FOX FLY!”
“No flying!” Ezreal shouted, diving to catch a pillow before it smacked the lamp. He looked back, and Yuji was now spinning in the center of the room, holding Fox like a microphone.
“FOX SING! LAAAAA!” Ezreal burst out laughing despite himself. “Okay, okay, that’s actually adorable.” Yuji suddenly struck a pose, then ran over to the speakers and cranked the volume. The bass shook the floor.
“Oh no,” Ezreal whispered. Yuji threw both hands up. “FOX POWER!!” The next minute was pure mayhem. Yuji danced with everything, the curtains, the blanket, a spoon he found in the kitchen. He invented moves Ezreal didn’t even know existed. “FOX DO THE WIGGLE!!” he yelled. Ezreal doubled over laughing, trying to film without dropping his camera. “Dude, you’re killing it!” Yuji twirled so fast his tail blurred. “Fox say spin forever!!”
“Fox is insane!!”

Yuji was giggling nonstop now, a dizzy whirlwind of energy. His hair was sticking up, his cheeks flushed, his little socks sliding across the floor. Ezreal leaned against the wall, half laughing, half dying. “Okay, pause, pause-Yuji, deep breaths, man! Inhale-exhale-”
Yuji stopped for a grand total of two seconds. Then he pointed at Ezreal. “UNCLE DANCE TOO!” Ezreal blinked. “Wait, what?”
“FOX SAY EVERYBODY DANCE!”
Before he could object, Yuji grabbed his hand and started dragging him in circles.
“No no no-okay fine, fine-” Ezreal started moving, barely keeping up, laughing uncontrollably. “Alright, alright! Let’s go, little man!” They danced together, a completely uncoordinated, chaotic explosion of limbs and laughter. Yuji yelled lyrics that didn’t exist, Ezreal shouted encouragements, and for one ridiculous, glitter-filled minute, the two of them were completely in sync.

Then Yuji spun too fast, tripped on his own feet, and crashed straight into Ezreal. Both of them went down in a pile of pillows. Ezreal lay on his back, laughing so hard tears filled his eyes. “Oh my god-you’re a menace-” Yuji was sprawled across his chest, still giggling hysterically. “Fox win dance!”
“Yeah,” Ezreal wheezed. “Fox totally won.”
The song ended. The silence that followed was glorious. Ezreal looked down. Yuji was still bouncing slightly, but slower now, his energy finally wearing off. “Okay, buddy,” Ezreal murmured, brushing Yuji’s messy hair out of his face. “Maybe we skip the next song.”

Ezreal was still catching his breath on the floor when the sound of tiny footsteps padded away. He blinked, realizing the sudden quiet was too quiet. “…Yuji?” No answer. He sat up fast. “Oh no. Not again.” He followed the trail of glitter and tiny footprints down the hall, stopping in front of his own bedroom. The door was cracked open just enough to show movement inside. Ezreal slowly pushed it wider. “Yuji… buddy… what are you-” He froze.
Yuji was standing in front of the open wardrobe, completely surrounded by Ezreal’s clothes. Or rather, inside them. He was wearing one of Ezreal’s oversized gold-trimmed jackets, the sleeves dragging along the floor like a royal cape. Around his neck hung a pair of designer headphones that were almost bigger than his head. His tiny feet disappeared in a pair of sparkling sneakers that clearly didn’t belong to him. He looked up proudly, the sunglasses slipping down his nose. “Fox say fashion!” Ezreal gawked. “Oh. My. God.” Yuji turned, posing dramatically in front of the mirror. “Fox cool?” Ezreal laughed so hard he had to lean against the doorframe. “Fox looks iconic! But those shoes are worth more than your college fund, kid!” Yuji twirled once, the jacket flapping like a cape. “Fox hero now!” Ezreal wiped his eyes, still wheezing. “Yeah, definitely hero material.” Yuji tried to take a step, tripped on the too-long sleeves, and caught himself on the edge of the bed. “Fox heavy.”
“Yeah, that’s what happens when you wear five layers of gold trim, buddy.”
Yuji frowned thoughtfully, then pulled another jacket from the closet, a bright blue one with rhinestones and somehow managed to add that on top. “Fox shine more!”
Ezreal covered his face. “Oh, Yue is going to love this. Yone? Not so much.” Yuji stomped around the room proudly, dragging the sleeves behind him. “Uncle Ez, look! Yuji Heartsteel!”
Ezreal blinked, then burst out laughing again. “You know what? Yeah. You are. The smallest, sparkliest member we’ve got.” Yuji struck one more dramatic pose, Fox perched on his shoulder like a tiny manager. “Fox say photo!”
Ezreal blinked. “Wait-you want a photo?”
Yuji nodded enthusiastically. “Fox say camera!” Ezreal hesitated for half a second. Then he sighed, grabbed his phone, and crouched down. “Alright, model pose incoming.” Yuji puffed out his chest. “Fox ready!” The flash went off. The photo came out perfect. Yuji in oversized designer clothes, Fox on his shoulder, glitter in his hair, looking like the world’s tiniest rockstar. Ezreal stared at it, smiling. “Okay… that’s actually adorable.”
He showed Yuji the picture. Yuji gasped. “Fox famous!” Ezreal laughed. “Fox might actually go viral.” Yuji nodded seriously. “Fox say post it.”
“Absolutely not,” Ezreal said quickly. “Your dad would actually bury me alive.”
Yuji pouted. “Fox sad.”
“Fox will live,” Ezreal said, taking the phone back and ruffling Yuji’s hair. “Now come on, superstar. Let’s get you out of my wardrobe before Yone senses something’s wrong through the Force.”

Ezreal had just managed to sit down for thirty seconds when he heard it, the unmistakable thump-thump-THUMP of tiny feet running full speed down the hallway. Then a voice. “FOX RUN!” He looked up, eyes widening. “Oh no.”
Yuji came flying around the corner like a miniature rock star on tour. He was still dressed in Ezreal’s oversized jacket and rhinestone jeans, sunglasses sliding down his nose, and one sneaker half-on, half-off.
“FOX FAST!” he yelled, spinning once before nearly wiping out on the polished floor.
Ezreal jumped up. “Y-Yuji, careful-!”
Too late. Yuji bounced off the couch, ricocheted off the wall, and kept going, laughing hysterically. “FOX POWER!”
The noise drew everyone else out of their rooms. Sett was the first to appear, coffee mug in hand. He blinked once. “...Why does he look like you threw him into a closet and told him to survive?” K’Sante followed, perfectly calm but clearly trying not to laugh. “Is this… new tour merchandise?” Kayn leaned against the doorframe, smirking. “Oh, this is gold. Literally. Did he rob you?” Yuji skidded to a stop in front of them, spreading his arms dramatically. “FOX SHINY!” Ezreal groaned. “He found my wardrobe.” Sett snorted into his coffee. “Bro, he’s rocking it better than you.”
“Excuse me?” Ezreal said, offended and flustered. Yuji struck a pose, the too-long jacket sleeves flopping to the floor. “FOX STAR!” K’Sante actually clapped once. “Remarkable stage presence.” Kayn pulled out his phone immediately. “Oh, I’m recording this.”
“Don’t you dare!” Ezreal yelped, lunging at him.
“Too late,” Kayn said, grinning. “The people need to see Mini-Ezreal.”
Yuji took that as encouragement and began strutting down the hallway like it was a catwalk, enormous shoes clomping loudly against the floor. “FOX MODEL!”
Sett nearly fell over laughing. “He’s killing it!”
K’Sante chuckled. “Confidence beyond measure.” Ezreal groaned, hands over his face. “You’re all encouraging bad behavior!”
Yuji twirled, the sunglasses flying off and landing perfectly on Sett’s head. “FOX SHARE!” Sett adjusted them and gave a dramatic nod. “Honored.” Kayn snorted. “He just promoted you to stylist.” Ezreal tried to catch Yuji mid-run, but the boy slipped between his legs and darted for the kitchen. “FOX NEED JUICE!”
Ezreal panicked. “Not again-no shiny cans!”
Yuji flung open a cabinet and pulled out an empty cup instead. “FOX SAFE!” he announced proudly. Sett wiped his eyes, still laughing. “Man, you sure this kid isn’t part gremlin?” K’Sante smiled faintly. “He’s merely spirited.” Yuji ran back, tugging at Ezreal’s jacket sleeve. “Uncle Ez! Fox want music again!” Ezreal froze. “…Absolutely not.”
“FOX DANCE!” Yuji insisted, bouncing on the spot. Kayn grinned. “You heard him, DJ. He’s ready for round two.” Ezreal threw his hands in the air. “I give up! Fine! But you’re all helping this time!” Yuji clapped happily. “FOX BAND!”
The speakers came alive again, bass rattling the windows. Yuji immediately began dancing, sleeves flying, shoes squeaking, hair whipping through the air. Sett joined in for fun. Kayn drummed on the counter. K’Sante kept the beat by tapping his mug. And right in the middle of it all, Yuji spun in his oversized jacket, laughing so hard he nearly fell again. “FOX LOVE HEARTSTEEL!” Ezreal couldn’t even be mad anymore. He laughed, grabbing his camera. “Okay… yeah. This is going in the archives.”

The front door opened with a soft click.
“...I’m home,” Yone called quietly as he stepped inside, hanging up his coat.
For a moment, there was silence.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. “FOX FLYYYYYY!”
A blur of gold and glitter shot past him, wearing sunglasses, three layered jackets, and sneakers two sizes too big. Yone froze mid-step, eyes narrowing slowly. “...Yuji?”
“PAPA!” Yuji screamed joyfully, spinning mid-run. “FOX FAST NOW!” He leapt, straight into Yone’s arms. Yone caught him on instinct, stumbling a little under the unexpected momentum. “Careful-” Yuji wriggled, tail flicking wildly. “Fox say DANCE!” Before Yone could even process that, the speakers in the living room blasted to life again, the bass shaking the walls. Yone turned his head slowly toward the source of the noise. Ezreal was standing by the couch, pale and sweating, holding a remote like it was a weapon. Sett and Kayn were frozen mid-laugh. K’Sante was the only one who managed to look dignified, though the twitch in his lip betrayed him.
The entire apartment looked like a rave had exploded: cushions everywhere, glitter on the floor, and one small child absolutely thriving.
Yone blinked once. Twice. Then, in a very calm voice that scared everyone, he said,
“…Explain.” Ezreal made a noise somewhere between a cough and a panic attack. “S-so! Funny story-uh-we were bonding, right? Team morale, father-approved, wholesome content, and-” Yuji interrupted by bouncing in Yone’s arms. “Papa, look! Fox Heartsteel now!”
Yone looked down. The “fox” in question, the poor plush was wrapped in a sequined scarf and covered in stickers. He closed his eyes. “I see.” Sett tried not to laugh. “Hey, at least he’s happy, bro.” Yone opened one eye. “Happy?”
Yuji nodded furiously, still kicking his feet. “FOX DANCE! FOX FLY! Uncle Ez fun!”

Yone stood slowly, crossing his arms. His voice was quiet, dangerously calm. “Ezreal.”
Ezreal froze. “...Yeah?”
“Why,” Yone asked evenly, “is my child behaving like a sugar-fueled comet?”
“W-what? No, he’s just excited! We had a great bonding day!” Ezreal said, laughing nervously.
“Ezreal,” Yone repeated, the tone flat enough to end empires. Ezreal’s smile wavered. “I mean… he might have had a little sugar.” Sett groaned. “Define little.” Ezreal winced. “Like, uh… half a cookie? And maybe… one tiny sip of… a drink.”
Yone blinked. “A drink.” Ezreal gulped. “Okay, technically an energy drink.” Kayn burst out laughing immediately. “You gave him what?!”
“It was an accident!” Ezreal protested, waving his hands. “I turned around for five seconds and he grabbed it!” Yone’s eye twitched. “And you let him drink it.”
“I didn’t let him-he did it! You know how fast he is!” Sett wheezed from the floor. “Bro, you caffeinated a toddler. You’re dead.”
Yuji, still rolling on the carpet, yelled, “FOX NO SLEEP! FOX DANCE FOREVER!” Yone exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Of course.” K’Sante, ever the diplomat, cleared his throat. “Perhaps a calming bath might help.”
Yone nodded stiffly. “Yes. A bath.” Ezreal stood up immediately. “Right! Bath! I’ll help-”
Yone’s gaze cut to him like a blade. “No. You’ve helped enough.” Ezreal sat back down instantly. “Right. I’ll just… sit here. Forever.”
Yone scooped Yuji up mid-spin, holding him upside-down by the waist until he squealed with laughter. “Alright, little fox. Bath time.”
“FOX SPLASH!” Yuji shouted happily.
“Exactly what I feared,” Yone muttered under his breath, carrying him toward the bathroom.
The moment the door closed, the rest of the band collectively exhaled.

Sett turned to Ezreal, still grinning. “Dude, he’s never gonna trust you again.” Ezreal groaned, burying his face in his hands. “I know. I just wanted to be the cool uncle, not the one responsible for toddler caffeine Armageddon.”
K’Sante chuckled softly. “Balance is restored… through chaos.” Kayn smirked. “Better him than me.” From the bathroom, the sound of Yuji’s laughter echoed down the hall, followed by Yone’s tired but amused sigh. Sett grinned. “You’re next, Kayn.” Kayn blinked. “Wait, what?!” Ezreal peeked over his fingers, smirking weakly. “Yone said one day each.”
K’Sante smiled knowingly. “Consider this your training arc.” Kayn groaned, flopping back against the couch. “I hate this band.”

Chapter Text

Kayn woke up that morning already regretting his existence. Sunlight hit him directly in the face. Someone, probably Ezreal, had opened his curtains. He groaned, dragging a pillow over his head. “Nope. Not doing it,” he mumbled. “He can babysit himself.”
A small knock came at the door. “Uncle Kayn?”
Kayn froze. The door creaked open. Yuji peeked in, clutching Fox. “Papa say you play today!” Kayn groaned into the pillow. “I hate mornings.”
“Fox say breakfast first,” Yuji said firmly.
“Fox can cook,” Kayn muttered. Yuji gasped. “Fox no thumbs!” Kayn cracked one eye open. “You’ve got me there, kid.”

Reluctantly, he sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. “Alright, alright. Fine. Breakfast. What do you even eat?” Yuji’s ears perked. “Fox want pancakes!”
“Pancakes,” Kayn repeated flatly. “Of course.”
He stumbled into the kitchen, still half-asleep, Yuji skipping behind him. The band was nowhere to be seen, which meant no witnesses. “Okay,” Kayn said, opening a cupboard. “How hard can this be?” Yuji stood on tiptoe, Fox tucked under one arm. “Fox help!” Kayn scanned the shelves until he found a box that looked like pancake mix. It wasn’t.
He dumped half of it into a bowl, added water, and stirred. It smelled weird. “Fox say smells funny,” Yuji murmured. “Fox also said breakfast first,” Kayn replied, pouring the suspicious mixture into a pan. Yuji leaned closer, curious. “Fox say it’s burning.”
“Fox needs to mind his own business.” The mixture sizzled, turned black almost instantly, and started smoking. Kayn blinked. “…Okay, Fox was right.” He grabbed the pan handle, hissed when it burned his fingers, dropped the spatula, and somehow made it worse.
The smoke alarm went off.

“FOX LOUD!” Yuji shouted, covering his ears.
Kayn ran around the kitchen waving a towel. “Okay! Okay! Everyone calm down!” The smoke alarm blared louder. From down the hall, Sett’s groggy voice called, “Bro, are you making breakfast or summoning demons?!”
Ezreal yelled, “Open a window before we all die!”
“Shut up!” Kayn shouted back, coughing.
He finally managed to open the window. Cold air rushed in, taking the smoke with it. The alarm stopped. Kayn turned back to Yuji, who was sitting at the table, Fox perched in his lap. Both were staring at him silently.

“…So,” Kayn said, rubbing the back of his neck. “That went great.” Yuji blinked. “Fox say you bad cook.” Kayn pointed at the charred pan. “You think?” Yuji nodded seriously. “Fox say restaurant better.” Kayn sighed, slumping against the counter. “Fox is right again.”
He grabbed his jacket and keys. “Fine. We’re going out.”
“Fox come too?”
“Fox definitely comes too.” Yuji gasped happily. “Fox say adventure!”
Kayn muttered under his breath. “Yeah. Something like that.”

They made it about three blocks before the problems started. At first, Yuji was trotting happily beside him, holding Fox in one arm and swinging Kayn’s hand with the other.
“Outside fun!”
“Yeah,” Kayn said, yawning. “You have good taste. Sunlight’s overrated, though.”
But a few minutes later, Yuji’s pace slowed.
Then slowed more. By the time they reached the corner, Yuji was dragging his feet.
“Fox say tired.”
Kayn looked down. “Already? We’ve walked, like, five minutes!”
“Fox little,” Yuji mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Kayn sighed, crouching down. “Alright, fine. C’mere.” He picked Yuji up and hoisted him onto his shoulders. Yuji immediately brightened. “Fox tall now!”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t get used to it.”
“Fox see everything!” Yuji said, clapping his hands. “Fox king of world!” Kayn grinned despite himself. “You mean I’m the one carrying you.” Yuji leaned over his head, whispering dramatically, “Fox generous.”
Kayn snorted. “Sure, kid. You’re the boss.”
They continued down the street, Kayn trying to look inconspicuous, Yuji pointing at literally everything.
“Fox see bird! Fox see car! Fox see-ICE CREAM!” Kayn stopped. “We’re getting breakfast first, not dessert.”
Yuji gasped like he’d just been betrayed. “Fox say ice cream IS breakfast!”
“Fox is wrong.”
“Fox sad.”
Kayn groaned. “Fox manipulative.”
They finally reached the fast-food restaurant, Kayn’s arms starting to ache. He set Yuji down gently and opened the door. The smell of fried food hit them instantly. Yuji’s face lit up. “Fox smell heaven again!”
“Yeah, that’s grease,” Kayn said, steering him toward the counter. “Try not to touch anything sticky.” Yuji pressed both palms onto the counter immediately. “Fox touch everything!”
Kayn groaned. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
The cashier smiled nervously. “Uh… can I take your order?”
“Yeah,” Kayn said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Kid’s meal. No soda. He’s small.”
Yuji tugged on his sleeve. “Fox want fries too!”
“You get fries with the meal.”
“More fries.” Kayn sighed. “Fine. Extra fries. And coffee for me. The strongest you’ve got.”
They sat down in a booth by the window. Yuji was practically vibrating with excitement, swinging his legs under the table. When the tray arrived, his eyes went wide. “Fox feast!!”
Kayn smiled faintly, handing him the small burger. “Alright, go easy on that, yeah?”
Yuji nodded seriously. “Fox promise.”

He did not keep that promise. By the time Kayn finished his coffee, Yuji had dismantled the burger, built a fry castle, and was humming the Heartsteel theme under his breath.
“Fox say this best day,” Yuji announced proudly. Kayn leaned back, smiling. “Glad you’re having fun, champ.” Yuji chewed thoughtfully, then added, “Fox say Uncle Kayn good Papa.” Kayn choked on his drink. “WHAT-no, no, no-Fox is wrong again!”
Yuji blinked innocently. “Fox no wrong. Fox smart.” Kayn rubbed his face. “This kid’s gonna get me canceled.”

When they finished eating, Yuji looked content and sleepy, the kind of soft, satisfied calm only toddlers and cats could achieve.
“Fox say full,” he murmured, patting his stomach. Kayn smiled faintly. “Yeah, me too. Let’s get out of here before you start a food fight.” Yuji stretched his arms toward him. “Fox say up!” Kayn blinked. “You can walk.”
“Fox tired.”
“Fox was tired ten minutes into walking here.”
Yuji nodded seriously. “Fox consistent.”
Kayn groaned, but couldn’t help laughing. “Alright, alright. Come here, little manipulator.”
He picked Yuji up, settling him on one hip as they headed for the door. Yuji immediately nestled against him, holding Fox in one arm and pressing his cheek against Kayn’s shoulder. The moment was peaceful. Almost too peaceful. Until someone whispered loudly behind them: “…Wait. Is that Kayn?!” Kayn froze mid-step. Yuji blinked, looking up at him. “Fox say people talking.” Kayn glanced over his shoulder. Two teens by the window were staring wide-eyed, phones already in hand.
“Oh no,” he muttered. “Dude,” one of them whispered, “that’s totally him!”
“Who’s the kid?” the other asked. Kayn tried to speed up toward the exit. “Nobody. He’s nobody. He’s small. Goodbye.”
But it was too late, one of the fans had already approached, smiling nervously. “Um-hi! Sorry, but… are you Kayn? From Heartsteel?” Kayn plastered on the fakest grin imaginable. “Nope. Totally different red-haired guy with perfect cheekbones. Happens all the time.”
The fan giggled. “It’s totally you.” The other one raised their phone slightly. “Can we take a picture?” Kayn sighed. “Look, I’m not-”
“Wait,” the first fan interrupted, eyes lighting up. “Who’s that?” Yuji tilted his head. “Fox say hello!” Kayn groaned. “He’s-uh-my friend’s kid.”
“Aw, he looks just like you!” Kayn blinked. “No, he doesn’t.”
“He totally does!”
The second fan leaned closer, whispering. “Is this, like, a secret? You can tell us.” Kayn’s jaw dropped. “A what?! No! He’s not mine!”
Yuji frowned slightly. “Fox say mean?”
Kayn sighed quickly. “Not mean, buddy, just-confused.” The fans exchanged knowing looks. “Oh my god,” one whispered, “he’s denying it. That’s so suspicious.”
Kayn’s voice pitched up. “It’s not suspicious! It’s just none of your business!” The first fan gasped. “He’s protecting his privacy! That’s so sweet.” Yuji tugged Kayn’s hair gently. “Fox say we famous now?” Kayn groaned. “No, Fox, we’re leaving now.” He adjusted his grip on Yuji and bolted out the door as politely as possible. Outside, he kept walking fast, muttering to himself. “Can’t take me anywhere. Yue’s gonna kill me. Yone’s gonna kill me twice.” Yuji hummed, resting his head on Kayn’s shoulder. “Fox say that fun.”
Kayn exhaled in disbelief. “Fox and I have very different definitions of fun.”

By the time they got back to the apartment, Kayn was exhausted, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He unlocked the door with his elbow, still balancing Yuji on one arm. “Alright,” he muttered. “Home. Safe. Zero screaming fans. We survived.” Yuji lifted his head sleepily. “Fox say fun trip.” Kayn gave a weak laugh. “Yeah, sure, Fox had a great time ruining my reputation.”

He carried Yuji down the hall and nudged open the door to the guest room. It had slowly turned into “Yuji’s room” small bed, toys everywhere, Fox plushies in every corner.
Kayn set him down gently on the rug. “Okay, champ. You chill in here for a bit, yeah? I need to… decompress.” Yuji blinked up at him. “Fox say what’s decompest?”
“Means I’m playing video games.”
“Fox play too?” Kayn snorted. “Not unless you’ve got your own controller, little dude.”
Yuji gasped, grabbing his toy xylophone. “Fox have instrument!”
“Yeah, not quite the same thing,” Kayn said, already heading toward the working room. He tossed himself into his gaming chair, flicked on the PC, and sighed as the RGB lights lit up the dark room. The familiar boot sound of his favorite game filled the speakers. “Finally,” he muttered, pulling on his headset. “Something I’m actually good at.” The loading screen glowed. Kayn relaxed for the first time all day.
Meanwhile, from the hallway, a faint jingling sound echoed, followed by Yuji’s soft voice:
“Fox explore!” But Kayn didn’t notice. He was already mid-match, muttering into his mic. “No, no, push the lane, push the lane! Why is everyone so bad at this game?!” Sett’s voice drifted from the living room. “You’re babysitting, not streaming, bro!”
“I can do both!” Kayn yelled back, eyes never leaving the screen. Ezreal’s voice followed. “That’s literally the sentence of a man about to regret everything!” Kayn ignored them, leaning forward in pure focus. “If I win this match, I’ll totally have time to check on him. He’s fine. He’s-”

A small crash echoed down the hallway.
Kayn froze. “…Okay, maybe not fine.”
He took off his headset. “Yuji?” No answer.
Then a soft thud. Then another. Kayn groaned, pushing his chair back. “Alright, timeout.”
He walked down the hall, already bracing for whatever disaster awaited him.

Kayn followed the sound of tiny footsteps and muffled giggles down the hall. “Yuji?” he called. “Hey, little dude, what are you doing?”
No answer. He pushed open his bedroom door and froze. Yuji was standing in front of his open closet, surrounded by a small mountain of clothes, cables, and books. Not just any books. Those books.

The covers shimmered in pastel pink and dramatic fonts, all roses, moonlight, and very intense men staring at each other. Yuji looked up, eyes sparkling. “Fox found stories!”
Kayn’s soul left his body. “No. No, no, no, no!”
Yuji picked up one of the paperbacks, squinting at the title. “Fox say romantic!”
Kayn lunged. “Give that back!” Yuji squeaked, darting away just in time. “Fox read first!”
“Fox can’t even read!”
“Fox learning!” Kayn chased him around the bed, tripping over a pile of shirts. “Kid, those aren’t for you!” Yuji giggled, clutching the book like a trophy. “Fox like drama!”
“Fox is about to learn what grounded means!”
He reached out again, but Yuji ducked under his arm with surprising toddler agility and sprinted toward the living room. Kayn groaned. “Oh come on!” By the time he caught up, Yuji was standing proudly on the couch, holding the book high like a sacred artifact.
“Fox say Uncle Kayn write love stories!”
Ezreal, Sett, and K’Sante all turned in unison.
Sett blinked. “...Wait. You write those?”
Kayn froze in the doorway, sweating. “I-no-! They’re not mine, they’re-uh-research!” Ezreal immediately grinned. “Oh my god, you’re a fanfiction author.” Kayn shouted, “I’m not!” and lunged for the book again, but Yuji ducked and ran behind the couch, still laughing. “Fox say happy ending soon!” Sett doubled over laughing. “Oh, bro, he’s quoting it now!” Ezreal was crying from laughter. “Oh, this is gold. Actual gold.” K’Sante, always composed, raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps he merely appreciates the literary arts.” Kayn pointed at him in despair. “You’re not helping!”
Yuji climbed onto the coffee table, still holding the book triumphantly. “Fox say love is forever!” Kayn froze, groaning. “I knew I shouldn’t have kept those under the shirts.”
Sett wheezed. “Under the shirts? That’s your hiding spot?!” Yuji giggled, waving the book again. “Fox say share with Papa!” Kayn went pale. “Don’t you dare.”At that exact moment, the front door unlocked. Click.
Kayn froze mid-step.

“…I’m home,” Yone’s calm voice said.
Ezreal whispered, “Oh, this is gonna be so good.” Yuji’s entire face lit up. “PAPA! Look what Uncle Kayn wrote!” Kayn shouted, “NO-!”
But it was too late. Yuji sprinted straight to Yone, holding out the bright pink paperback with both hands. “Fox say romantic!” Yone looked down at the cover. His expression didn’t change. Slowly, he turned it over, reading the back. Silence. Then, in that terrifyingly calm voice, he said, “Kayn. Would you like to explain why my son is holding this?”
Sett whispered, “He’s dead.” Ezreal was already recording. “No, this is art.” Kayn covered his face. “...Fox betrayed me.” Yuji tilted his head. “Fox say good story!”
Yone’s expression softened slightly as he crouched down to Yuji’s level. “Is it?”
Yuji nodded proudly. “Fox say love wins!”
Yone looked up at Kayn, perfectly calm. “I see.”
Ezreal choked on his laughter. “Oh my god, even Yone’s quoting it now-” Yone turned to him. “Delete that video.”
“Immediately, sir.” Yuji giggled and handed the book back to Kayn. “Fox say write more!”
Kayn groaned, taking it carefully. “Yeah, maybe when I move to another planet.”
“You have... several.”
Kayn’s voice cracked. “They come in sets!” Sett lost it completely.

Yone crouched to pick up one of the paperbacks that had fallen near his feet.
The title glimmered across the front: > “Blades of Destiny - A Love Beyond Rivalry.”
He turned it over slowly. “Kayn,” he said at last, voice calm but sharp enough to slice air, “why does this one have your name … and Ezreal’s?”
Kayn froze. “That’s… uh-coincidence.”
Ezreal’s jaw dropped. “EXCUSE ME?!” Sett collapsed on the couch, laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe. “Bro! You’re writing fanfiction about yourself!”
“It’s not fanfiction!” Kayn blurted. “It’s creative therapy!”

Yone raised an eyebrow, flipping through the pages. His expression remained perfectly neutral, which somehow made it worse. “So you express yourself by inventing dramatic sword duels that end in-” he squinted at a line- “‘a heartfelt embrace beneath the falling moonlight.’” Ezreal’s face turned bright red. “You wrote that about me?!”
“It’s fictional me!” Kayn shouted. “Totally different guy!” Sett wheezed, half-crying. “You even got the hair color right!” K’Sante looked over Yone’s shoulder, reading carefully. “At least the punctuation is good.” Yone closed the book with deliberate slowness. “So these are self-insert romantic adventures featuring you and your boyfriend.” Kayn crossed his arms defensively. “Look, man, it’s for the fans! They love the drama!” Ezreal groaned. “They love our music, not your ‘yearning gaze across the rehearsal room.’” Yuji, sitting on the floor with Fox, tilted his head. “Fox say Uncle Kayn like Uncle Ez.” The room exploded in laughter.
Kayn covered his face. “Fox, please don’t.”
Yone set the stack of books on the table, every title worse than the last: “Strings of Fate,” “Tempo of Two Hearts,” “Riff and Ruin.”
“Do you plan to publish these?” Yone asked evenly. “Not after today,” Kayn muttered.
Sett smirked. “Come on, man, drop them as limited-edition merch.” Ezreal groaned. “Absolutely not.” Yuji clapped his hands happily. “Fox say good story time!” Yone sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Kayn, next time you feel inspired, perhaps write about something that does not involve your boyfriend.” Kayn slumped. “Fine. Maybe I’ll write one about Fox.” Yuji gasped. “FOX ADVENTURE!” Ezreal grinned. “Finally, wholesome content.” Yone gave a tired nod. “Yes. Please. Do that.” Kayn grinned weakly. “Fine. But I’m keeping the moonlight.”
Sett cackled. “Of course you are.”

Chapter Text

The next morning came with an unusual sound. Whistling. Loud, off-key whistling.
Ezreal peeked into the kitchen, still half-asleep, and blinked. “...Are you whistling?” Sett looked up from the blender, grinning wide enough to show his canines. “Yeah, why?”
“Because it’s terrifying,” Ezreal muttered, rubbing his eyes. Sett poured his protein shake into a massive cup. “What’s terrifying is how easy this babysitting gig’s gonna be. I’ve wrestled bears heavier than Yuji.” Yone, seated at the table with tea and quiet suspicion, raised an eyebrow. “You are confident.”
“Of course I’m confident, old man,” Sett said, slapping his chest. “Kids love me. I’m fun, I’m strong, I got snacks.” Ezreal yawned. “You’ve got gym rage and a blender that sounds like a jet engine.”
“Same difference,” Sett said, sipping his shake. Yone folded his arms. “You also have gym today.” Sett’s grin widened. “Exactly. I’ll bring him with me. Easy day.” Ezreal choked on his coffee. “You’re bringing a three-year-old to the gym?” Sett shrugged. “What? It’s family-friendly. He can watch me lift. Inspiration starts young.” K’Sante looked up from his newspaper. “Do you have a plan for if he becomes restless?” Sett flexed. “Yeah-he can spot me.” Ezreal groaned. “Oh, this is gonna end beautifully.” Yone closed his eyes. “Do not drop anything. Or anyone.”
“Relax, I got this,” Sett said, grabbing his gym bag and keys. “Where’s the little dude?” Right on cue, Yuji toddled into the kitchen, dragging Fox by one ear. His hair was still messy from sleep, but his eyes were bright. “Fox say good morning!” Sett crouched down, grinning. “Hey, champ. Ready for a big day?” Yuji gasped. “Adventure?”
“Oh yeah,” Sett said proudly. “We’re going to the gym.” Yuji blinked. “What’s gym?”
“It’s where strong people get stronger,” Sett explained, flexing one arm. “You’ll love it.”
Yuji’s eyes went wide. “Strong like Papa?”
Sett laughed. “Exactly! Strong like Papa and Uncle Sett.”
“Fox want muscles too!” Yuji announced.
Ezreal covered his face. “Oh no.” Sett grinned. “Don’t worry, little man, I’ll teach you the basics.” Yone sighed deeply. “You are not teaching him anything.” Sett winked. “Relax, boss. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Ezreal leaned back. “Those are famous last words.” Sett grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and pointed at Yuji. “Come on, champ. Let’s go pump some iron.”
Yuji clutched Fox to his chest and followed excitedly. “Fox say get strong!” The door closed behind them. A long pause.
Then Ezreal looked at Yone. “You think we should call the gym ahead of time and warn them?” Yone sipped his tea. “I think we should call an ambulance ahead of time.”

The moment they stepped into the gym, Sett’s whole posture changed. This was his kingdom, the clang of metal, the hum of treadmills, the smell of protein powder and victory. “Fox say loud!” Yuji said, clinging to Sett’s hand as they walked past a row of lifters. “Yeah,” Sett said proudly, “that’s the sound of people getting stronger.” Yuji looked around, wide-eyed. “Fox say strong smell too.”
Sett laughed. “That’s… sweat, buddy. You get used to it.” He dropped his bag next to a bench and looked down at Yuji. “Alright, champ. Rule number one, we don’t touch anything heavy, got it?” Yuji nodded very seriously. “Promise.”
“Good.” Sett started stretching, rolling his shoulders. “We’ll start easy.” Yuji copied him immediately, tiny arms over his head, trying to mimic every motion. Sett caught him out of the corner of his eye and grinned. “Hey, look at you! Natural born athlete.”
“Fox stretch too!” Yuji said proudly, holding up the plush. Sett knelt to his level. “Fox gonna get jacked, huh?” Yuji nodded firmly. “Fox strongest!” That was how it began.
Sett started his warm-up set, light dumbbells, just to loosen up and Yuji stood beside him, holding two bright red apples he’d found in Sett’s gym bag, grunting dramatically with each “rep.”
“Fox lift heavy fruit!” Yuji said, face scrunched in focus. A couple of people nearby had stopped what they were doing to watch. One guy whispered, “Is that Sett… training a toddler?”
“Yup,” another muttered, pulling out his phone.
Sett noticed the attention, flashed his best grin, and said loudly, “Gotta start ‘em young, you know?” Yuji beamed, holding up Fox. “Fox say strong together!” The entire gym melted.
By the time Sett moved on to bench press, Yuji had made himself a little “training area” on the mat, two tiny dumbbells made from water bottles and socks, and Fox supervising like a coach. Sett lay back on the bench, flexing. “Alright, watch this, kid. This is how Uncle Sett gets gains.” Yuji nodded seriously, standing beside him. “Fox count!”
“Perfect,” Sett said. “Ready? One-”
“ONE!” Yuji shouted.
Sett laughed mid-rep. “Two-”
“TWO!”
“Three-”
“FOX SAY ENOUGH!”
Sett burst out laughing so hard he nearly dropped the bar. “What? Fox giving orders now?” Yuji crossed his arms, Fox tucked under one. “Fox say rest important.”
“Fox sounds like K’Sante,” Sett muttered, setting the bar back down. A few people clapped, and someone said, “That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” Sett wiped his forehead, still grinning. “See, kid? You got fans already.”
Yuji tilted his head. “Fox famous?”
“Almost,” Sett said proudly. “You’re a natural. We’ll make a mini champion outta you.”
Yuji gasped. “Fox champion!” They spent another half hour like that, Sett training, Yuji copying, the gym practically a concert of encouragement and giggles. By the end, Yuji was sitting on Sett’s shoulders, cheering: “FOX SAY STRONGEST TEAM!”
Sett laughed, “Yeah, little man, we’re killing it.” Then he checked his phone. Thirty missed notifications.
Ezreal: “Dude. You’re trending.”
Ezreal: “#BabyBenchPress”
Ezreal: “Yue liked the post.”
Sett froze mid-step. “…She what?” Yuji leaned over his head. “Fox say Papa proud!” Sett groaned. “Fox has no idea how much trouble I’m in.”

After their “training session,” Sett decided to finish strong. “Alright, champ,” he said, rolling his shoulders, “you ready for the grand finale?”
Yuji’s ears perked up. “Fox say what finale?”
“Push-ups,” Sett said, stretching his arms. “We’re gonna show the world what teamwork looks like.” Yuji gasped. “Fox help too?”
Sett grinned. “Oh, Fox’s gonna ride shotgun.”
He dropped down to the mat and gestured. “Okay, hop on, little dude. Right on my back.”
Yuji squealed with excitement and climbed up carefully, Fox tucked under one arm like a battle buddy. “Fox ready!” Yuji declared proudly. “Alright,” Sett said, bracing himself. “Don’t move too much, or Uncle Sett’s gonna faceplant.” Yuji giggled. “Fox promise still.”
Sett started his first push-up, slow and steady. The moment he went down, Yuji shouted, “ONE!” Sett grinned. “You counting again?”
“FOX COUNT!”
“Alright then-two!”
“TWOOOO!” By the fifth rep, Sett was sweating but still flexing for the audience that had quietly formed around them, gym-goers filming, cheering, and whispering things like “He’s benching a whole toddler!” Yuji was loving every second of it. “Fox say Uncle Sett strong like mountain!” Sett laughed breathlessly. “Fox got taste!”
“Fox say more push-ups!”
“Fox can chill!” Sett wheezed. He managed five more before collapsing onto the mat dramatically. “Alright, I’m done! Fox wins!”
Yuji giggled and slid off his back, landing beside him. “Fox champion again!” Sett rolled onto his back, chest heaving, grinning up at the ceiling. “Yeah, kid. You win this round.”
He sat up and ruffled Yuji’s hair, still smiling. “Not bad, little man. You’re tougher than you look.” Yuji puffed out his chest proudly. “Fox say strong now too!”
“Yeah, Fox is swole,” Sett said, chuckling.
The staff near the front desk were laughing softly, one whispering, “That’s actually adorable.”

After Sett’s dramatic finish, the little crowd in the gym began to clap. Sett stood, chest out, towel over his shoulders, basking in the attention. But Yuji wasn’t done. “Fox say my turn!” he announced proudly, already dropping onto the mat. Sett blinked. “Uh-what?”
“Fox say do push-ups too!” The onlookers melted instantly. “Alright, little man,” Sett said, kneeling beside him. “Hands here, feet back, yeah, like that. Just keep your body straight.”
Yuji nodded seriously, face full of determination. “Fox ready!” He planted both hands on the floor… and immediately stuck his legs straight up like a confused frog. The entire gym went silent. Sett tried not to laugh. “Buddy, you’re-uh-that’s a handstand attempt.”
Yuji grunted, wobbling. “Fox STRONG!”
“Yeah, I see that.” Then he collapsed forward onto the mat with a soft thump. “Fox… tired now,” he mumbled into the floor. The audience collectively aww’d. Sett scooped him up before he could try again. “Nice effort, champ. Ten outta ten for enthusiasm.” Yuji’s ears drooped a little. “Fox no strong like Uncle Sett.”
“Hey,” Sett said, crouching down to eye level. “Strength’s not just about muscles, little man. You got heart, and that’s what matters.”
Yuji blinked, then smiled. “Fox have heart muscle!”
Sett laughed. “Exactly! And it’s huge.”
One of the trainers whispered to another, “I swear, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve seen in this place.”
Yuji perked right back up, grabbing Fox and placing him on the floor. “Fox try push-up now!”
Sett covered his face, still laughing. “Okay, but if Fox gets hurt, I’m outta here.”
Yuji made Fox lie flat on the mat, then used both hands to move him up and down while chanting, “ONE! TWO! THREE! FOX WIN!”
The gym burst into applause again.
Sett lifted him onto his shoulder, proud and exhausted. “See? Fox did it. You both crushed it today.” Yuji grinned. “Fox say strong team!”
Sett nodded. “Best team in the gym.”

After the legendary “Fox push-up,” the gym crowd finally dispersed, and Sett decided he’d earned a treat. “Alright, champ,” he said, patting Yuji’s shoulder, “time to refuel. Uncle Sett needs his shake.” Yuji tilted his head. “Fox say what’s shake?”
“Magic drink,” Sett said proudly. “Makes muscles bigger.” Yuji gasped. “Fox want magic drink!” Sett laughed. “We’ll see, little man.”
They walked over to the bar at the corner of the gym, all chrome counters and blenders roaring like engines. The barista smiled. “Hey, Sett. Same as always?”
“You know it,” Sett said, leaning on the counter. “Double protein, almond milk, peanut butter, make it hero size.” Yuji’s eyes went huge. “Fox want hero drink too!” The barista smiled at him. “And what’s the little hero having?”
“Fox say same!”
Sett blinked. “Whoa, whoa, hold up. That shake’s got more caffeine than sense.” Yuji pouted, hugging Fox. “Fox say not fair.”
“Fox’s three,” Sett said, crossing his arms. “He doesn’t need forty grams of protein.” Yuji frowned. “Fox say want muscles.” The barista laughed softly. “We can make a mini version, no caffeine, no protein powder. Banana and milk only.” Yuji gasped. “Fox approve!” Sett sighed, amused. “Yeah, do that. One baby shake, one beast shake.”

A few minutes later, the barista handed over the drinks. Sett’s was a huge cup of liquid gold; Yuji’s came in a small paper cup with a tiny straw and a smiley-face sticker. Yuji stared at it in awe. “Fox say delicious magic.”
He took a big sip-too big and froze, eyes wide. “Cold!” Sett chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the point.”
Yuji shivered dramatically, clutching Fox. “Fox say brain freeze!” Sett ruffled his hair. “That’s how you know it’s working.” Yuji took another sip anyway, determined. “Fox strong now!”
A couple of gym members nearby were recording again, whispering things like, “That’s the #FoxPushUp kid!” Sett groaned quietly. “They’re still filming us.” Yuji giggled, holding up his drink. “Fox toast!” Sett raised his own cup with a grin. “To the strongest team in the gym.” They clinked cups, Yuji’s tiny one against Sett’s massive shaker. Yuji smiled proudly. “Fox say yummy!”
“Good,” Sett said, taking a long sip of his own. “Now let’s get home before someone sells our merch.”

By the time they got home, Sett felt unstoppable. Yuji was happily perched on his shoulders again, clutching Fox in one arm and his half-finished “baby shake” in the other.
“See?” Sett said as he opened the door. “Easy day. No disasters, no crying, no chaos.”
Yuji sipped loudly through his straw. “Fox say best day ever!” Sett grinned. “Exactly. Uncle Sett always delivers.”They stepped into the living room, where the rest of the band was already gathered. Ezreal was sprawled on the couch, K’Sante was scrolling calmly through his phone, and Yone sat at the table, eyes on the television. On-screen, a news segment was playing. The title read: “Heartsteel’s Sett Hits the Gym… with a Mini Training Partner?”

Sett froze. The clip cut to shaky phone footage of him doing push-ups with Yuji on his back, both of them shouting, “Fox strong!” Laughter and applause echoed in the background.
Then the screen switched to an online post with millions of likes.
> Yue ✦ Official
“While I encourage strength and discipline, perhaps smaller weights are advisable for smaller training partners.”

The camera zoomed in on Sett’s blank expression before cutting back to the anchors laughing. Ezreal couldn’t even breathe. “Dude. You’re on actual television.” Sett groaned, rubbing his face. “You gotta be kidding me…”
Sett cried. “She roasted me in front of the entire internet!” Yone, still calm, turned up the volume just as a fitness influencer on-screen said,
> “Honestly, the kid’s form wasn’t bad. Future champion material.”

Yuji perked up. “Fox say famous again!”
Ezreal snorted. “You’re practically a brand now, little man.” Sett pointed at the screen in despair. “Do you people hear yourselves?!”
Yone finally looked up from his tea. “You are trending in eight countries.” Sett blinked. “Eight-what?!” Ezreal was crying with laughter again. “#FoxShake, #MiniCoach, and - oh my god-#GymDad.”
Yone took a sip of tea. “Yue’s comment has 600,000 retweets.” Sett groaned. “She didn’t even tag me!”
“She didn’t have to,” Yone said dryly. “Everyone knew.” Yuji tugged Sett’s sleeve. “Fox say Mama nice!” Sett sighed, defeated. “Yeah, sure, buddy. Nice.” Ezreal leaned back, grinning. “So who’s next on babysitting duty?”
Yone folded his arms. “Aphelios.”
Aphelios nodded serenely. Sett dropped onto the couch. “Good luck, man. You’re gonna need it.” Yuji held up Fox like a tiny weight. “Fox ready for next challenge!” Yone sighed softly but smiled just a little. “So am I.”

Chapter Text

That morning felt… strange. Not bad, just different. There was no yelling from Sett, no blender noise, no spilled coffee from Ezreal’s latest disaster. The apartment was calm, soft music, light through the windows, the smell of Yone’s tea. K’Sante was reading. Yone was finishing a report on his laptop. Sett sat on the floor doing stretches for no reason. Then Yuji came padding in, still half in pajamas, hair messy, clutching his little toy car. “Morning,” he mumbled, rubbing one eye. Ezreal smiled from the couch. “Hey, sleepyhead. Where’s Fox?” Yuji blinked. “He sleeping.”
Yone glanced up from his papers. “Still? He usually eats breakfast with you.” Yuji shrugged. “He tired.” That made everyone stop. K’Sante looked up. “Did he just say that?”
Sett frowned. “Yeah. No ‘Fox says’? He just… said it.” Ezreal set down his phone. “Huh. I didn’t even notice.” Yuji climbed onto a chair and reached for his cereal bowl. “Can talk normal,” he said softly, almost defensive.
Yone smiled faintly. “We know, little one. We just noticed. That’s all.” Yuji blinked up at him. “Not bad?”
“Not bad at all,” Yone said gently. “Just different.” For a moment, Yuji didn’t say anything. Then he looked down at his cereal and smiled a little. “Okay.” Sett grinned. “Man’s growing up.” Ezreal whispered, “Don’t say that too loud. Yone’s gonna get emotional.”
Yone sipped his tea without looking up. “I heard that.” K’Sante smiled. “It’s a good sign. He’s learning to speak for himself.”
Yuji was too busy kicking his feet under the table to hear them.

A little while later, Aphelios appeared quietly in the doorway, notebook tucked under one arm, scarf tied neatly. He waved politely to the others, then crouched down near Yuji. Yuji smiled. “Uncle Aphe!” Aphelios smiled back and turned his notebook around, showing neat handwriting. > Good morning. Ready for the day?

Yuji squinted at it, mouthing the shapes of the letters. “Go... morning?” Aphelios nodded patiently. Yuji tilted his head. “You talk funny.”
Aphelios blinked, a little startled, then laughed silently. Ezreal grinned. “You’re in for it, man. He’s honest.” Aphelios just smiled, then pointed at the door, miming a little walk with his fingers. Yuji leaned closer, watching the motion. “Go?” Aphelios nodded.
“Outside?” Another nod. Yuji beamed. “Okay!”
He slid off his chair and ran to grab his tiny shoes. Sett called after them, “Good luck, bro!”
Ezreal leaned to Yone. “Think he can keep up?”
Yone took another slow sip of his tea. “If anyone can, it’s Aphelios.” K’Sante nodded thoughtfully. “Silence meets simplicity. They may understand each other better than any of us expect.” Yone’s gaze softened as he watched the door close behind them.
“Perhaps so.”

The garden behind the apartment was still damp from last night’s rain. Sunlight filtered through the trees, and somewhere in the distance, a bird sang. Aphelios spread out a small blanket on the grass and sat down with his sketchbook. Yuji sat beside him, legs crossed, holding one of the soft brushes from Aphelios’s pouch. For a long time, neither of them said anything. And for once, that didn’t feel strange. Yuji was unusually calm, quiet, blinking up at the sky as if the whole world was moving slower. He looked at Aphelios curiously. “You not talk?” Aphelios smiled faintly and shook his head.
Yuji frowned. “You... can’t? Or don’t want?”
Aphelios tilted his head, hesitated, then pressed a finger to his throat and shook his head again. Yuji thought for a moment, then whispered, “Oh.” They sat in silence again.
The wind brushed through the leaves. Aphelios turned to a blank page and began to draw slowly, delicate, careful strokes forming a cluster of flowers. Yuji leaned closer, trying to see. “You draw flower?” Aphelios nodded.
Yuji tilted his head. “Why?” Aphelios paused, then pointed at the flowers nearby, real ones.
Yuji nodded seriously. “You copy.” Aphelios smiled, a little amused, and shook his head softly. He wrote something down:
> Not copy. Remember.
Yuji squinted. “…huh?” Aphelios pointed to his temple, then to the flower, then back to the page. Yuji watched closely but didn’t quite get it. “You... think flower?” Aphelios gave a patient smile and nodded. Yuji thought hard, then frowned. “That weird.” Aphelios laughed silently, shoulders shaking.

A little while later, Aphelios turned the notebook toward Yuji again. > Your turn. Draw.
Yuji blinked. “I no read that.” Aphelios realized, then mimed a drawing motion with his hand.
Yuji gasped. “Draw?!” Aphelios nodded.
Yuji grabbed the brush, dipped it right into the water jar, and started enthusiastically painting random swirls all over the page. Water splashed. The paper tore a little. Aphelios flinched, but only for a second. Then he smiled softly and helped Yuji turn the page. Yuji looked up shyly. “Sorry.” Aphelios shook his head gently. Then he pointed to the brush and gestured, again. “Okay,” Yuji said, calmer this time. They tried again. Aphelios guided Yuji’s little hand, showing him how to move the brush gently, slow, smooth, soft. Yuji whispered, “Like... wind.”

By late morning, the little patch of grass around them was covered in papers.
Bright, messy colors. Suns and skies. Faces that looked a little like people, if you squinted and believed hard enough. Aphelios had stopped painting entirely. He just sat quietly, watching Yuji’s world grow on the paper around them. Yuji hummed softly as he worked. “This one Uncle Ez... and Uncle Sett...”
He dabbed bright green for Ezreal’s hair, then added huge muscles for Sett. “He big.” Aphelios smiled and nodded approvingly.
Yuji picked another sheet. “This... Uncle Kayn. He got red.” He dragged the brush in long streaks that looked more like lightning than hair, then giggled. “Uncle Kayn always shout.”
Aphelios laughed silently, his shoulders shaking. Then Yuji reached for another page, slower this time. He pressed the brush into the paint and started drawing three small figures.
One tall, with a long white and red line for hair.
One small, with a swirl of black. And one figure in soft blue, standing close by. Aphelios tilted his head, watching carefully. When Yuji finished, he held the page up proudly. “This... me... and Mama... and Papa... and...” He paused, looking at the third figure. “And... You.”
Aphelios froze, his chest tightening for a second. He hadn’t expected that. Yuji smiled shyly. “You nice.” Aphelios smiled back, a little softer than before. He wrote something in his notebook and turned it around.
> Family?

Yuji blinked at the word. His head tilted again.
Aphelios pointed gently at the drawing, then at Yuji, then at himself, and then made a small heart shape with his hands. Yuji squinted, thinking very hard. “...Love?” Aphelios nodded.
Yuji smiled. “Yeah.” He set the paper down beside the others, very carefully this time.
Then he crawled closer and sat beside Aphelios, leaning against his arm.
Aphelios blinked, surprised, but didn’t move away. He closed his notebook slowly and let the brush fall into the grass.

By noon, the sun was high and warm, and Yuji’s hands were completely covered in paint.
Aphelios helped him wash them in the garden sink before leading him gently back inside.
Yuji hummed happily as they walked. “My tummy talk.” Aphelios blinked and tilted his head. Yuji patted his stomach. “Hungry.”
Aphelios smiled, nodding, and motioned for Yuji to follow him into the kitchen.
He pointed toward the table. “Sit,” he mouthed silently. Yuji blinked, confused. “You say sit?”
Aphelios nodded again, smiling, and mimed sitting in a chair. Yuji gasped in understanding. “Oh!” He scrambled up onto the seat, proud of himself. “I do it!”
Aphelios chuckled quietly and went to the fridge. He opened it slowly, scanning the shelves: milk, eggs, vegetables, leftovers.
He turned back to Yuji and pointed questioningly to a few things, bread, a bowl of fruit, some cheese. Yuji looked at each one like it was a riddle. “Um... yes.” Aphelios hesitated.
Yuji nodded. “Yes.” Aphelios blinked twice.
He smiled helplessly and pointed to the fruit again. Yuji nodded. “Yes.” Then he pointed to the bread. Yuji also nodded. “Yes.” Then to the eggs. “Yes!” Aphelios sighed, amused.

A little while later, the kitchen smelled amazing. Aphelios had improvised slicing bread into little pieces, toasting them with melted cheese and fruit on top, then frying an egg on the side just because Yuji had said “yes” to that too. Yuji sat at the table, chin resting on his hands, watching every move like it was a magic show. When Aphelios finally placed the plate in front of him, Yuji’s eyes went wide. “Wow.” Aphelios smiled, gesturing toward the food. Yuji took a cautious bite… and gasped. “Good!” Aphelios chuckled silently and sat down across from him, eating his own plate. After a moment, Yuji pointed at the food again, serious. “This not what I say.”
Aphelios blinked. Yuji shook his head, then smiled. “But still good.” Aphelios laughed quietly. He wrote something on his notebook and turned it around for Yuji:
> I’m glad.

Yuji tried to sound it out. “I... glab?” Aphelios corrected him gently, mouthing the word again. Yuji frowned. “I glad.” Aphelios nodded.
Yuji grinned. “I glad too.” They ate the rest of lunch in comfortable silence.

The apartment was unusually peaceful when the rest of the band returned from their errands. No screaming. No crying. No chaos.
Just soft clinking sounds from the kitchen, and the faint smell of toasted bread and fruit.
Ezreal froze in the hallway. “Wait. Is… is that quiet I hear?” Sett frowned. “Impossible. Yuji’s awake, right?” K’Sante closed his eyes, listening. “It seems so. And yet there is… harmony.” They crept closer, peeking around the doorway and stopped dead. At the table sat Yuji, legs swinging slowly under his chair, eating tiny bites of fruit and toast with perfect focus. His face and hands were still a little stained with paint, but he was calm, smiling faintly.nAcross from him, Aphelios sat with his tea, reading his notebook between bites. The two of them didn’t speak, just shared quiet glances, small smiles, and the occasional nod.
It was… serene. Ezreal whispered, “Holy crap. He domesticated the toddler.” Sett muttered, “I didn’t even think that was possible.” K’Sante smiled softly. “He found peace where the rest of us found noise.” Then Yone appeared behind them. He took one look into the kitchen and actually stopped in surprise. “...He’s eating?” Yone asked quietly.
“Not just eating,” Ezreal whispered. “He’s behaving.” Yone stepped closer, folding his arms. His expression softened almost instantly. Aphelios looked up and noticed him. He gave a small nod, eyes calm as always.
Yone nodded back respectfully. “You’ve done well.” Aphelios tilted his head, unsure if Yone meant Yuji or him. “Both of you,” Yone clarified, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “He hasn’t sat still that long since Yue left for tour.” Yuji looked up, mouth full. “Papa! Uncle Aphe make food. Good food.” Yone blinked, surprised again. “He cooked?” Yuji nodded proudly. “I say egg. He make... egg toast fruit bread!”
Ezreal snorted. “So... everything.”
Yone chuckled softly. “And it worked.” He looked back at Aphelios. “You have a gift.”
Aphelios smiled, shaking his head modestly.
Yone gestured toward the notebook. “Communication without words… not easy. Yet he listens to you.” Aphelios wrote something quickly and turned the page.
> He listens because I listen first.
Yone read the words and paused then smiled, genuinely. “You’re wiser than most adults I know.” Ezreal whispered to Sett, “He’s officially Yone’s favorite now.” Sett groaned. “Great. As if we didn’t already have a favorite child in the band.” Yuji looked between them all, not understanding half of it, but smiling anyway. “Uncle Aphe nice.” Yone ruffled his hair gently. “Yes, he is.”

Chapter Text

The morning started quietly for once. No blender, no yelling, no chaos, just the steady clink of dumbbells. Sett groaned from the couch. “Bro, it’s too early for muscles.” K’Sante didn’t even glance over. “Discipline starts with the sunrise.” Ezreal rolled onto his side. “Yeah, and sanity starts after coffee.” From the kitchen, Yone said calmly, “It’s K’Sante’s turn to watch Yuji today.” Sett peeked out from under his blanket. “He’s gonna teach Yuji how to squat before breakfast.”

Before anyone could argue, tiny footsteps padded in. Yuji appeared in his pajamas, hair sticking up in every direction. “Morning,” he mumbled. “Good morning, little champion,” K’Sante said warmly. Yuji blinked sleepily. “Champion?” “Yes,” K’Sante said, crouching down. “Today, you train with me.” Ezreal sat up fast. “Wait, what? You’re taking him training?”
“Not training. Fun training,” K’Sante corrected. “Games.” Yone looked up from his tea. “Just… make sure it stays ‘fun,’ please.” K’Sante grinned. “Always.”

A little while later, they were outside in the backyard. K’Sante was already arranging things, cones, a jump rope, a laundry basket, and a few couch cushions. Ezreal watched from the window. “He’s actually building an obstacle course.” Sett leaned over his shoulder. “That man can’t help himself.”
Outside, Yuji tilted his head. “What’s that?”
“The Champion Course,” K’Sante said proudly. “Test of strength and courage!” Yuji’s eyes sparkled. “I wanna do it!”
“Alright,” K’Sante said, hands on his hips. “First, run to the cone and back. Ready?”
Yuji crouched down like a tiny sprinter. “Go!”
Yuji took off halfway, then stopped to grab a shiny rock from the ground. “Look!” he yelled, holding it up. K’Sante laughed. “You found treasure instead of the finish line.”
“I win!” Yuji declared.
“You win something,” K’Sante said, taking the rock. “Every champion needs a trophy.” Yuji grinned from ear to ear. “Trophy!”
“Next test,” K’Sante said, pointing at the cushions. “Jump test. Like a frog.” Yuji crouched, tongue poking out, and gave a tiny hop, barely clearing one cushion before toppling over. K’Sante burst out laughing. “Perfect landing!” Yuji giggled too. “Again!”
They repeated it again and again, bigger jumps, more laughter until Yuji flopped dramatically on the grass. “I tired!” K’Sante chuckled and flopped down beside him. “Champions need rest too.” Yuji turned his head toward him. “You funny.”
“Don’t tell the others,” K’Sante whispered. “They’ll expect it from me.” Yuji covered his mouth like it was a big secret.

After a few minutes, Yuji sat up again, suddenly full of energy. “Next one?” K’Sante pointed at the jump rope. “Balance test! Follow the snake.”
“The snake?” Yuji repeated, wide-eyed.
K’Sante laid the rope down in a zigzag. “Step on it. Don’t fall off.” Yuji gasped. “If I fall, snake bite?”
“Maybe,” K’Sante teased. Yuji squealed and began tiptoeing along the rope with exaggerated care. He wobbled once, flailed dramatically, and landed on the grass. “Snake bite!” he yelled, laughing. K’Sante shook his head, smiling. “A brave warrior has fallen.”
Yuji rolled over, giggling. “I okay now.”
“Good,” K’Sante said, helping him up. “Ready for the final challenge?” Yuji nodded hard. “Final!” K’Sante crouched next to the laundry basket. “The Cave of Trials. Crawl through, and you win.” Yuji gasped. “Scary cave!”
“Only for the weak,” K’Sante said dramatically.
“I strong!” Yuji shouted, dropping onto his hands and knees. He crawled in… halfway… and got stuck. “Uh-oh.” K’Sante tried not to laugh. “You’re doing great, champ.” Yuji wiggled, then backed out the wrong way and rolled onto the grass. “I win backwards!”
K’Sante clapped. “Still counts!” From the window, the others were losing it. Ezreal had tears in his eyes. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.” Sett was wheezing. “He’s making Yuji do drills like a mini pro!” Yone, of course, was calm but smiling faintly. “He’s actually good with him.”

A little later, K’Sante called out, “Last round, the champion race! Snake, cone, cave!” Yuji gasped. “Race?! With you?”
“With me,” K’Sante said, grinning. “But be warned, I’m fast.”
“No!” Yuji said, stamping one tiny foot. “I faster!”
“Oh? Then prove it.” Yone, watching through the window, murmured, “Here we go.”
“Ready!” K’Sante called. Yuji crouched down again, hair sticking up. “Set!”
“Go!” They ran together, both laughing, Yuji’s little legs pumping as fast as they could. He jumped the cushions, touched the cone, then belly-flopped through the laundry basket. K’Sante slowed down on purpose, pretending to stumble. “Oh no! He’s too fast!” Yuji popped out of the basket and shouted triumphantly, “I win! I win!” K’Sante laughed, out of breath, and scooped him up. “You’re the new champion!”
Yuji giggled, clutching his rock trophy. “I beat you!”
“Yes,” K’Sante said, smiling wide. “You beat me fair and square.”

Yuji wasn’t tired yet, his little hands were tugging K’Sante’s sleeve, eyes sparkling. “Uncle ’Sante do it now! You try course!” K’Sante raised an eyebrow, pretending to look doubtful. “Me? You think I can beat you?”
Yuji nodded seriously. “You big. You strong. You try.” K’Sante crossed his arms, playing along. “Hmm. Alright, but if I win, you owe me… half your snack.” Yuji gasped. “No! My snack!”
“Then cheer loud, so I win fair,” K’Sante said, hiding a grin. He walked to the start of the “Champion Course.”
The cones looked smaller now, the cushions somehow more dangerous. He placed one hand over his heart and took a deep breath like a warrior preparing for battle. Ezreal, Sett, and Yone were all watching from the kitchen window again. Sett whispered, “Oh, he’s performing.” Ezreal grinned. “This is about to be art.”

K’Sante crouched dramatically. “Phase one, speed!” He sprinted toward the cone with exaggerated stomps that made the ground shake, arms flailing like a cartoon character. Yuji burst out laughing instantly. “Go faster, Uncle ’Sante!”
“I’m trying!” K’Sante yelled back. He turned too wide, stumbled, and spun in a circle before catching himself against the fence. “The cone… it fought back!” Yuji was rolling on the grass, giggling so hard he couldn’t breathe. “Cone win!” K’Sante pointed at it, glaring dramatically. “Rematch later.”
He moved to the next phase, the cushions. “Jump test!” He crouched low, took an unnecessary running start, and leapt clear over all three cushions, but intentionally landed like a ragdoll. “OOF! Too powerful!” he groaned, rolling onto his back. Yuji clapped his hands. “Uncle fly!”
“Yes,” K’Sante said weakly, still sprawled out, “but the landing needs work.” Ezreal was crying with laughter inside. “This is the greatest show I’ve ever seen.” Sett added, “Dude’s doing slapstick for a three-year-old and I’m living for it.” K’Sante stood up, brushing grass off his shirt. “Alright, the rope! The Snake of Doom!” Yuji gasped in delight. “Snake! Careful!” K’Sante pretended to tiptoe in terror, stepping along the rope with huge, clumsy steps. Every time the rope wobbled, he jumped and shouted, “It hissed!” Yuji laughed so hard he fell over. “Snake no hiss! You silly!”
“It did!” K’Sante insisted, backing away like the rope was alive. “You saw it move!”
“Nooo!”
“Yes!”
They went back and forth until Yuji was laughing so hard tears welled in his eyes.

Finally, K’Sante turned toward the last challenge, the Cave of Trials. He crouched low in front of the laundry basket, looking at Yuji with mock fear. “It’s darker than before. I might not make it.” Yuji waved both arms frantically. “Go go go!”
“Tell my team I fought bravely!” K’Sante said, saluting dramatically before crawling in.
He didn’t fit neatly, his shoulders bumped the sides, the basket wobbled, and his voice echoed faintly inside. “Too tight! Send help!”
Yuji was laughing so hard he could barely stay standing. “You stuck!”
“Impossible! Champions never, wait, yes, I’m stuck!” He wriggled backward out of the basket, sat up, and groaned like he’d fought a war. “Victory… costs much.” Yuji collapsed into the grass again, giggling uncontrollably. “You funny, Uncle ’Sante!”
“Of course,” K’Sante said solemnly. “Comedy is part of strength training.”

From the window, Yone was actually smiling now, a soft, genuine one that reached his eyes.
“Look at him,” Ezreal said, still chuckling. “The guy’s doing this on purpose just to make Yuji laugh.”
“Exactly,” Yone replied. “And it’s working.”
Sett wiped a tear from his face. “He’s gonna need a nap more than the kid.”

Outside, Yuji was cheering. “Again! Again!”
K’Sante groaned dramatically. “Again? But my muscles!” Yuji poked his leg. “You strong!”
“I was,” K’Sante said, clutching his chest. “Before the cone betrayed me.” Yuji laughed so loud the sound echoed across the whole yard.
K’Sante smiled down at him, sitting cross-legged in the grass. “You had fun, little champion?” Yuji nodded eagerly. “Best game ever.”
“Good,” K’Sante said warmly. “That’s the only victory that matters.” Yuji tilted his head. “We both win?” K’Sante smiled. “We always win, as long as we laugh.”

Inside, the rest of the band stepped away from the window, shaking their heads but smiling.
Ezreal said quietly, “Okay, I think Yuji’s new favorite uncle is officially K’Sante.”. Sett grinned. “He earned it.”

Chapter Text

Evening fell softly over the apartment. Yuji sat on the rug drawing lopsided planets; the band sprawled around him, Sett on the sofa arm, Ezreal on his stomach, Kayn sulking into his hoodie, K’Sante upright and relaxed, Aphelios with an open notebook.

Yone set a spiral pad on the coffee table. His face read: meeting. His tone: kind, but sharp.
“Thank you,” he began. “He’s safe, fed, and tired. That’s the baseline. Now we talk about how we got there.”
He looked first to Aphelios.

“Aphelios.” Yone’s voice warmed. “You built bridges out of silence. He ate calmly. He painted without melting down. You didn’t push, you guided him.” Aphelios lifted a small, grateful hand. “For next time,” Yone said, “we’ll make picture cards.” Aphelios smiled and jotted a neat ✔︎.

“K’Sante.”
“You turned structure into play,” Yone said. “You let him win, but made it feel earned. You exaggerated your ‘fails’ so he laughed, and safety never sounded like ‘no.’ Excellent.”
K’Sante nodded once. “Next time: water every fifteen minutes, and keep it indoors.”
Yuji, without looking up from his page: “Uncle ’Sante funny.”
“Yes,” Yone said. “And clever.”

“Sett.”
“You were good,” Yone said. “Clear praise, clear limits. He felt strong with you.”
Sett grinned until Yone flipped the page.
“Now the headache: the press. Gym phones, hashtags, a public comment. Next time, no public studio. We’ll build you an indoor foam course, pillows, no strangers. And no hero-sized shakes for toddlers.”
“Mini shake was banana,” Yuji mumbled.
“That one stays,” Yone allowed. “Banana and milk only.”

“Ezreal.”
Ezreal braced. “You lifted his mood and got on his level, good,” Yone said. “But the energy drink, the overstimulation, dress-up chaos, and no clear landing? Reckless.” Ezreal opened his mouth. Yone raised a hand. “Fixes: plan your set in advance, twenty minutes ‘pop-light’ at room volume, then ten minutes blocks or puzzle, then a calm-down playlist. No caffeine. His clothes stay on; costumes only at the end if he’s calm. And your phone goes Do Not Disturb when you’re alone with him.” Ezreal exhaled. “Got it. Send me the tempo-managed tracks.”
“They’re already in the folder,” Yone said.

“Kayn.”
Kayn stared into his hoodie.“You can turn chaos into rhythm,” Yone began, “but fast food at peak hour, shoulders photos, then you boot your PC while he roams and your… literature on the floor?” Smothered chuckles. Kayn groaned. “From now on,” Yone continued, “this is protocol, not a suggestion:
- Disguise and off-peak only.
- No shoulders in public.
- Pack a busy-bag before you leave: stickers, small car, putty, so he doesn’t ‘explore’ your closets.
- PC stays off while you’re on duty.
- And your books go in a lockbox, on a high shelf. I choose the code.”
“Seriously-”
“Yes,” Yone said evenly. “If fans approach: ‘I’m babysitting.’ Smile, walk. If they press, you call me, not the internet.” Silence. Paper scratched as Yuji started a new sun.

“The unpleasant part,” Yone said, eyes moving from Sett to Kayn. “I’m not scolding to kill fun. I’m protecting privacy. No one can know who Yuji is. You two took us too close to the edge-twice. That does not happen again.”
Sett nodded. “Won’t happen again.” Kayn sighed. “I’ll do better. Promise.” Yone’s shoulders eased. “Good. Then we end here.”

Ten minutes after the debrief, the apartment’s quiet popped like a bubble. Ezreal sat bolt upright. “Oh no. No, no, no-look at this.” He spun his phone around. The screen was an avalanche:
#WhoIsTheDad #Dadsteel #GymDad #MysteryKid
Collages, red-string threads, “evidence compilations,” slow-mo breakdowns of push-ups and shoulder carries. Sett leaned in. “They made a flowchart. Bro, there’s a tier list of potential fathers.” Kayn dragged a palm down his face. “Let me guess. I’m S-Tier.”
“Correct,” Ezreal said miserably. “Top theory: Kayn + Akali secret baby.”
“I can't keep a secret, and besides, I don't even like Akali!” K’Sante squinted at another post. “There’s also ‘Yone adopted him quietly because he’s responsible.’” Sett barked a laugh. “That one’s not entirely wrong.”
Ezreal kept scrolling, voice going higher. “Oh my god-‘It’s Sett, child clearly benching from birth.’ And-wait-‘Ezreal clone, the hair proves it.’ Clone? We don't even have the same hair colour!”
“Here,” Sett said, snatching the phone. “They think it’s Aphelios because ‘the kid is calm near him’ and ‘they communicate with their souls.’”
Aphelios blinked, then wrote on his pad: I refuse paternity by poetry.

Kayn checked his own feed and groaned. “Someone did side-by-side screenshots of Yuji pointing at fries and me at a menu. Caption: ‘Like father, like menu.’”
“Enough.” Yone’s voice cut through the spiral. He was already at the table with a pen and a blank page. “We are not debating imaginary genetics,” he said. “We are controlling what we can control.” He drew a box and titled it Comms Plan.
“Step one: No fueling the fire. No replies, no jokes, no winks, no Q&A. Personal accounts go quiet for forty-eight hours.” He looked at Kayn and Ezreal, in that order. Kayn saluted weakly. “I will become a monk.” Ezreal zipped his lips. “Silence. I can do that. Probably.”
“Step two: Official statement-band account only. Neutral. No details. We ask people not to share or speculate about minors. Then we leave comments limited.” Yone nodded at Ezreal. “Draft.”
Ezreal typed while Yone paced, dictating:
> Heartsteel (official):
We don’t comment on private lives. Please don’t share or speculate about photos of minors. If you see content featuring a child, we ask you to respect their privacy and refrain from reposting. Thank you for looking out for each other.

“Pin it across platforms,” Yone said. “24-hour comment limitation. No replies.”
“Posting… now,” Ezreal murmured.
“Step three: Redirect attention with harmless content. Flood the feeds with work.” Yone pointed, assigning like a conductor. “Sett: post a thirty-second training clip. Caption ‘Back to work.’ Comments off.”
“Easy,” Sett said. “I’ll make it look epic.”
“Aphelios,” Yone continued, “hands-only painting clip. Calm music. Caption ‘Color study.’ Comments limited.” Aphelios scribbled ok and a little paintbrush.
“Kayn,” Yone said, “dry guitar riff in the studio. Caption ‘demo day.’ Comments limited.”
Kayn grimaced. “I can do anonymous art.”
“Ezreal,” Yone added, “ acoustic teaser. Caption ‘night practice.’” Ezreal nodded, already hearing it in his head.
“Step four: Community outreach. Aphelios-DM the big fanpages. Thank them for removing kid content. Paste the same text as the statement. Keep it polite, not legal.”
Aphelios lifted his phone and began copy-pasting, efficient as a librarian.
“Step five: Report protocol.” Yone flipped the page and wrote a column of words. “Mute and report any posts with these tags attached to a child’s face: ‘WhoIsTheKid, Dadsteel, GymDad, MysteryKid.’ Do not argue. Rotate in pairs for one hour, then phones down.”
“I’ll take first watch,” K’Sante said.
“I’m with him,” Sett added.
“Step six: Venues & third parties. I’ll call the gym and request internal takedowns, and ask their staff to remind members not to film other patrons’ kids. No press statements from them; just discretion.”
“And the label?” Ezreal asked.
“Only if it escalates,” Yone said. “I prefer this not become a PR memo.”
“Step seven: Internal safety.” He looked around the room. “Auto-backup off for any photos with Yuji. Cloud albums checked. No behind-the-scenes cameras rolling when he’s audible. Studio doors on silent signs while he’s around. Kayn, your PC remains off on your shift.” Kayn lifted his hands. “Off. Like, medieval off.”

Sett raised a hand. “Question. What if a reporter DMs?”
“Template reply,” Yone said, already writing it. “We don’t comment on private lives. Please refrain from involving minors in your coverage. Then block.”

Ezreal glanced at his screen and winced. “They made a bracket. ‘Dad Madness.’ I’m seeded third.”
Kayn grimaced at another edit. “Someone slowed the clip and circled my hair. Like that proves… anything.”
“Hair is not evidence,” Aphelios wrote, deadpan.
“Hair is never evidence,” Yone confirmed.
Ezreal’s phone pinged. “Statement is live, pinned, comments limited. First replies are… surprisingly respectful. Fanpages are reposting the ‘don’t share minors’ line.”
“Good,” Yone said. “Post the redirect content.”

“Okay but-what if they actually guess it?” Ezreal whisper-yelled. “Like, say the names out loud?”
Yone flipped to a clean page. “Plan A: hold the line. Same sentence every time, We don’t comment on private lives. Please don’t involve minors. Plan B: containment, mass report + polite DMs to fanpages. Plan C: escalation, label + legal if a press outlet prints names or anyone posts private info.” Kayn squinted at his phone. “Too late if Yue sees this bracket. ‘Dad Madness,’ I’m a one-seed.”

Before Yone could answer, his screen lit up:
> Yue: I trust you. But why the hell do they believe it’s Kayn + Akali?

Yone’s thumbs moved.
> Yone: Photo of Kayn carrying Yuji surfaced. Pattern-matching: “blue hair, chaotic energy, must be his.” No official info creates vacuum, rumor fills it. Drama travels faster than corrections.

Three dots.
> Yue: Understood. I hate that it makes sense.
I’ll stay quiet, unless they post his face. Then I won’t be polite.
> Yone: Agreed. Thank you.
> Yue: Why the hell Kayn, though. I’m suing his hair.
> Yone: Noted.

Yone locked the phone, turned back to the room. “She trusts the plan.”

By morning, the apartment had three enemies: a kettle that refused to boil, the neighbor’s drill chewing through concrete, and a TV committed to nonsense. Ezreal surfed channels and went pale. “Oh no. They made graphics.”
Onscreen, a glossy stinger-WHO’S THE DAD?-popped with confetti and a comedic boing. A panel of strangers smiled like they were choosing snacks.
“Let’s start with Kayn,” the host purred. “Shoulder-carry footage, fry enthusiasm, general gremlin energy-very dad-coded.”
Kayn hurled a pillow at the screen. “Gremlin energy is not hereditary!”
Click. New channel. A “body-language specialist” replayed Sett’s push-ups, circling his face with a telestrator. “Observe the micro-nod. Classic paternal tell.” Sett clapped a hand to his forehead. “That was me agreeing with gravity.”
Click. Another show. Split screen: Yone on one side, Yuji on the other; glowing circles around ears and jawlines. “Our AI resemblance model gives this a sixty-eight percent match,” a pundit announced. Ezreal squinted. “They ran a toddler through the same app that thinks I’m a houseplant.”

A culture panel pivoted to Aphelios because “soul bond,” then a bracket called Dad Madness bounced K’Sante in round one on the grounds that he “reads as coach, not father.”
K’Sante muted the TV with his thumb. “I accept early elimination.”

Silence edged in. Yone exhaled through his nose, a sound halfway between a laugh and disbelief, and sat at the table. “This is absurd,” he said. “And loud. We decide how much of it gets through our door.” Kayn hovered, restless. “So… what do we do? Ignore it? Throw my phone into the sea?”
“Both attractive,” Yone said dryly. He opened his notebook-not to draw bullets this time, but to give his hands something steady to do. “We keep the child safe and starve the rumor. That means routine, not bait.”

He laid it out in plain speech. Work-only posts. No replies, no winks, no coy anything. If someone asks, the same line every time: We don’t comment on private lives. Please don’t involve minors. Meanwhile, they push back, quietly, precisely. Wherever a child’s face runs unblurred, they file removal requests and ask editors to swap B-roll. No arguments in the replies; DMs only. And if a line is crossed, paternity stated as fact, unblurred footage aired, or anyone drifting into doxxing and doorstep filming, they escalate with counsel. Not a net cast wide, but a scalpel used once.
Ezreal raised a tentative hand. “Pros and cons?”
“Pros,” Yone said. “A quick chilling effect. Cons: lawsuits create headlines. So we treat legal like the fire alarm behind glass.”
On the muted TV, the ridiculous doubled down: a lip-reader swore Yuji had whispered “Dad” while tugging Sett’s sleeve; an “audio analyst” waved rainbow waveforms and claimed the word father lived in the static; a style host declared Ezreal’s use of baby in lyrics “admissible evidence.”
“Lyrics are not a paternity test,” Ezreal whispered. Yone didn’t look back at the screen. “Tripwires,” he said instead, writing the word and boxing it once. If a minor’s face runs unblurred: demand letter. If paternity is stated as fact rather than speculation: demand letter. If anyone posts location data, stalks, or films outside: legal escalation and a police liaison looped in. “We hit only those. Everything else, we smother with boring.”
“Won’t suing make them think they’re right?” Kayn asked. “Maybe,” Yone allowed. “But not suing teaches them children are free content. I prefer the headline Band protects minor over any alternative.” Sett let out a low whistle. “Dad mode with teeth.”

Yone stepped into the hallway where the drill faded to a dull insect. He opened his chat with Yue.
>Yone: We may need to escalate. If any outlet runs unblurred footage or states paternity as fact, we’ll move. If doxxing appears, we go straight to counsel and the police liaison. I’ll avoid filings if I can, but I won’t trade safety for optics.

The reply came fast.

>Yue: Do it. Don’t hesitate. Use my lawyers if you need them, I’ll loop my GC. And do not think about the cost. I’ll cover whatever’s required.

>Yone: Understood. I’ll coordinate counsel and keep you off the record. Please stay dark unless someone shows his face or posts a location, then I’ll ping you.
>Yue: Already told my team: no posts, no likes, no winks. Proud of you. Keep him safe. Keep yourselves boring. And again: don’t budget this. You protect. I pay.

He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until it left him.
>Yone: Copy. Thank you. Rest when you can.
>Yue: You too, my love.

He slid the phone away and returned to the table. “Update,” he said, calm slotting back into place. “If we need to sue, we sue. Budget is not a constraint.”
K’Sante nodded. “Then we choose targets cleanly.”
“We hold the line,” Yone said. “If they cross it-”
“We file,” K’Sante finished.
“And we don’t worry about the bill,” Yone added, as matter-of-fact as the kettle finally clicking on in the kitchen. “It’s already covered.”

Chapter Text

Yone woke up to a tiny hand patting his cheek.
“Papa,” Yuji mumbled, half asleep, half determined. “Wake up.” One eye opened. “Good morning, little one.” Yuji’s face was already close enough that their noses bumped. Yone blinked, still catching up.
“Only Papa,” Yuji said firmly, crawling right onto his chest like it was a perfectly normal place to sit. “No work. No phone. Only Papa.”
Yone sighed, but it came out more like a laugh.
Yuji frowned. “Mama’s far. I want Papa now.”
That settled it.

Yone brushed a hand through his son’s messy hair and gave up any thought of leaving the bed. “Alright. Only Papa today.” Yuji smiled, eyes squinting shut, and burrowed under Yone’s chin. For a few minutes, the room was quiet, just soft breathing and the faint hum of the city outside.

A knock came at the doorframe. Sett peeked in, holding a mug of coffee.
“Hey, man-oh.” He grinned instantly. “Morning, sunshine. We got a stage five clinger?”
“Apparently,” Yone said dryly, arm still wrapped around the small bundle attached to him. “Plans have been made without my consent.”
Yuji peeked up, blinking at Sett. “Shh. Papa’s mine today.” Sett covered his mouth to stop a laugh. “Got it, boss. I’ll cancel the meetings.”
Ezreal’s head appeared behind him, hair a disaster, phone in hand. “Wait, is this a hostage situation? Should we call Yue?”
Yone shot him a look over Yuji’s head. “You’ll be next.”
“Noted,” Ezreal said, retreating.

They made it to the kitchen around nine, though “made it” was generous, Yone carried Yuji the whole way. He tried to set him down on a chair, but Yuji shook his head immediately. “No. Lap.” Yone sighed, sat down, and let the little boy curl against him while he reached for the cereal box. “You’re heavier than yesterday.” Yuji smiled proudly. “Big.”
“Mm. Trouble,” Yone corrected. K’Sante looked up from the counter where he was slicing fruit. “He’s got you trained.”
“Don’t start,” Yone said, half amused. “Want me to take him for a bit?” K’Sante offered.
Yuji immediately turned, clutching Yone’s shirt. “No! Papa!” K’Sante laughed quietly. “Guess that’s a no.”
“Guess so,” Yone said, brushing crumbs from Yuji’s cheek. “We’ll eat here.”

Ezreal joined them a few minutes later, still holding his phone. “You two are adorable, but seriously, was he always this clingy?”
Yone shook his head, spooning another bite toward Yuji. “Normally only when I’ve been away too long.”
“How long’s ‘too long’?” Sett asked.
“Two days,” Yone said. The whole table went quiet. K’Sante blinked. “Two days?”
Yuji nodded solemnly, mouth full. “Too long.”
Ezreal couldn’t help it; he laughed. “Kid’s got standards.”
“He gets it from his mother,” Yone said, faint smile tugging at his mouth. “Yue calls me every morning when she’s away, no matter what time zone she’s in.”
“Wait-she actually keeps up with that?” Sett asked.
“She does,” Yone said. “She keeps the promise because the morning is handled for her, by someone she trusts.”
“She has a nanny, of course,” Yone said. “Yuji mostly stays in her villa. Big house, staff, everything he needs. When we’re both gone, the nanny’s in charge.” Ezreal blinked. “She has a villa?”

Yone gave him a look that could have flattened a mountain. “Ezreal. She’s a world star.”
“Right, right. Forgot the ‘international icon’ part,” Ezreal muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, yeah. That checks out.”
“Yue doesn’t spoil him,” Yone went on. “She just makes sure he has stability. One home. Same room. Same bedtime. He knows where he belongs.” Yuji reached up and squished Yone’s cheek with one hand. “Belong here.”
Yone caught the tiny hand, kissed it. “Yes. Here too.” The band collectively melted.

Sett turned to Ezreal. “Okay, I’m not even gonna lie, this is too sweet.”
“Yeah,” Ezreal said. “I suddenly wanna go call my mom.” K’Sante smiled. “He’s got a good papa.”

Yone brushed a strand of hair from Yuji’s face, speaking softly. “He’s got two good homes. That’s all that matters.”
Yuji, now satisfied and very full, yawned and tucked himself back against Yone’s chest. “Papa’s not going?”
“Not today,” Yone promised. “Just cartoons and pancakes.” Yuji smiled without opening his eyes. “Best day.”
“Yeah,” Yone said quietly. “It is.”

Yone had barely finished cleaning up breakfast when a small hand tugged at his sleeve. “Papa,” Yuji said, peering up with those sleepy morning eyes. “Movie?”
Yone smiled faintly. “Alright. Movie it is.”

He carried Yuji into the living room, where the gray blanket still waited on the couch. The TV flickered to life under Yone’s careful thumb, nothing loud, just the kids’ section full of bright colors and gentle music. Yuji pointed immediately. “That one! The hero one!”

It was an animated superhero film, flying capes, goofy sidekicks, just enough explosions to make it thrilling but not too much. Yone hit play, lowered the volume, and sat back with Yuji curled into his side.

Within seconds, Yuji had burrowed in like a cat, blanket pulled up to his chin, cheek pressed against Yone’s chest. From the hallway, the rest of the band started to wander past one by one.

“Movie day?” Sett asked, whispering even though there was no reason to. “Apparently,” Yone murmured. “He declared it.”
Kayn leaned against the wall, smirking. “He’s got you wrapped around his finger.”
“Entire hand,” Ezreal added.
Yone ignored them and brushed his thumb absently over Yuji’s hair. “Shh. Hero’s talking.”

Onscreen, the animated team of heroes assembled: one with lightning powers, another with ridiculous muscles, one with a perfect jawline, one brooding and quiet in the back.
Yuji’s eyes widened. “Papa, look!” He pointed at the team. “That’s them.”
“Them?” Yone asked, though he was already smiling. Yuji nodded, very serious. “That one’s Uncle Sett.” He jabbed at the muscular one. “Because strong.”
Sett grinned. “I’ll take it.”
“Then him,” Yuji said, pointing at the hero with shiny blue hair and too much confidence. “That’s Ezzy.”

Ezreal placed a hand over his heart. “An icon recognizes an icon.” Yuji frowned. “But he talk too much.” The room went quiet, and then Sett wheezed with laughter. “He got you, man.”
Ezreal made a wounded noise. “Et tu, small moon?”
“Et who?” Yuji asked, head tilting.
“Exactly,” Yone said, straight-faced.

Yuji pointed at the quiet, serious hero in the back, dressed all in black. “That’s Papa.”
“Obviously,” Kayn muttered.
“And the girl who fixes the robots, that’s Mama!” Yuji continued happily. “Because she always fix things!” Yone’s eyes softened. “That she does.” Yuji tapped his chin, scanning the rest of the lineup. “Uncle K’Sante’s the one who keeps everyone safe.”
K’Sante smiled faintly. “I can live with that.”
“And Uncle Kayn…” Yuji looked at him, squinting. “…the villain. But funny.”

Ezreal practically doubled over. “You hear that? Funny villain! That’s canon now.”
“Villain?” Kayn protested. “C’mon, I’d be the rival, not the bad guy.” Yuji shook his head, adamant. “You laugh like villain.”
Kayn opened his mouth, thought about it, then laughed and even he had to admit the kid had a point.

The movie rolled on, colorful and bright. Yone didn’t move; Yuji’s breathing had gone soft and steady, but he was still awake enough to whisper commentary. “That’s the part where Uncle Sett saves everyone,” he mumbled.
“Mhm.”
“And Papa shows up last and does the serious speech.”
“Mhm.”
“And Mama fixes the big light thing so it go boom!”
“Of course she does,” Yone said, smiling into Yuji’s hair. The credits started to roll before Yuji spoke again, voice small but certain. “l

Yuji yawned once, leaned his full weight against Yone, and whispered, “Papa’s the hero.” Yone glanced down at him, brushed his bangs aside. “No,” he murmured. “You are.”
Yuji smiled in his sleep.

The movie had long since ended, the credits looping softly in silence. Yuji was still asleep, his face buried against Yone’s chest, one small hand curled in the fabric of his shirt.
The room was so still it almost felt sacred, until Sett’s whisper broke it. “Okay,” he murmured, leaning around the corner, “I know I’m gonna sound like that guy, but, are there baby pictures?” Yone’s eyes didn’t open. “No.”
Sett grinned. “C’mon, man. Just one? For science?” Ezreal appeared right behind him, eyes bright. “Yes, please. The people need to know if he’s always been that cute.”
“I’m not the people,” Yone said dryly, though there was a tiny upward pull at the corner of his mouth. K’Sante stepped into the room, arms folded. “Let them look once. They’ll explode quietly, then we’ll have peace.”

Yone exhaled through his nose, slow, deliberate. “He’s asleep.”
“Exactly,” Sett said. “Perfect timing.”
Ezreal added, “We’ll be quiet, I swear.”
Yone finally opened one eye, studying them like they were three stray dogs begging at his door. “You will not take screenshots.”
“Cross my heart,” Ezreal said immediately.
Sett placed a hand on his chest. “Scout’s honor.” K’Sante, deadpan: “They’re incapable of honor, but I’ll supervise.” Yone sighed. It was the sound of a man who had already lost the argument.
“Fine,” he said finally. “One folder. Then you leave it alone.”

The TV blinked awake, mirroring his phone screen. A folder appeared: ‘Yuji - First Month.’
Yone hesitated for a second, thumb hovering, then opened it.

The first photo filled the screen: Yue, still in a hospital bed, her hair messy and damp, a faint smile on her lips. Her hands rested over the big swell of her stomach. The room light was dim and warm.

“That,” Yone said, his voice softer now, “was taken shorty before he was born. She didn’t want a professional photographer, just me.”
Ezreal tilted his head. “She looks… calm.”
“She was,” Yone said. “And she wasn’t. She told me she wasn’t afraid of the pain, only the silence after. She’d lost before, you know? So she made me promise that no matter what happened, I’d speak to her. Even if she couldn’t answer.”

The room went quiet. K’Sante’s tone was gentle. “You did?”
“I didn’t stop,” Yone said simply. He swiped.

The next image was a close-up of their hands, Yue’s, small and pale, gripping Yone’s tightly.
“That was just before the delivery,” he said. “I didn’t take many that day, but she insisted I keep that one. Said she wanted proof that I was terrified too.” Sett blinked. “You were terrified?”
“I still am,” Yone said, a faint smile tugging at his mouth. “Every day, in new ways.”
Ezreal laughed softly. “That’s… surprisingly relatable.” Yone swiped again.

The next photo was blurry, taken hastily, maybe with shaking hands. It showed Yone standing in the hospital hallway, still wearing scrubs, mask around his neck, his hair sticking to his forehead. He was looking down at something in his arms. “That was the first time they let me hold him,” he said. “Yue was asleep.”
“Who took it?” K’Sante asked.
“A nurse,” Yone said. “She said she’d never seen a man go that still. I remember she told me, ‘You can breathe, you know.’”

Ezreal smiled. “Did you?”
“Eventually.” He swiped.

Now the picture was clear: Yone sitting in a chair by Yue’s bedside, holding a newborn Yuji against his chest. The baby was wrapped in a gray blanket, impossibly small, his hand barely the size of one of Yone’s fingers.

Yone’s expression was unreadable, somewhere between awe, exhaustion, and a kind of careful, aching love that didn’t need words. “That one,” Yone said, “was taken about an hour after he was born. Yue woke up just long enough to tell me, ‘He’s beautiful,’ and then fell asleep again. I sat there for almost six hours. I didn’t want to put him down.”
Sett stared at the screen. “You look… I don’t even know. Scared, but happy?”
“I was both,” Yone said quietly. “He was breathing against my chest, and every time he exhaled, I was afraid it would stop. But it didn’t. So I kept counting.”
Ezreal whispered, “You counted?”
“For hours,” Yone said. He smiled faintly, the kind of smile that carries years. “By morning, I knew the sound by heart.”

He swiped again. Now it was Yone standing by the window, dawn filtering through pale curtains. He was still in the same clothes, holding the baby in one arm, his other hand gently cradling the tiny head. His eyes looked red but peaceful.

“That was sunrise,” Yone said. “The first morning. Yue was still sleeping, so I walked to the window with him. I remember thinking that the city didn’t deserve to be that quiet. Not when something this small was alive in it.”
Ezreal swallowed hard. “That’s… poetic.”
“I wasn’t trying to be,” Yone said softly. “I was just tired.” He swiped again.

The next few photos passed slowly:
Yuji’s first yawn, tiny mouth opening like a kitten’s. Yue asleep, one arm across the crib, still wearing her hospital bracelet.
Yone feeding him a bottle, head bowed, eyes half-closed, utterly focused.
A close-up of Yuji’s hand, gripping Yone’s finger tight enough to turn it white.
Yone narrated each one, voice calm and even but heavy with memory.

“That was the first night at home,” he said at one point. “Yue couldn’t sleep without checking his breathing every few minutes. We took turns pretending we weren’t scared. We failed.”

Sett chuckled softly. “Man, that sounds familiar.”
“It gets better,” Yone said. “Then worse. Then better again.”

He stopped on a photo of Yue sitting on the floor, her back against the bed, Yuji sleeping on her chest. Yone was in the background, hair tied loosely, camera half in frame. “She said she didn’t want glamour,” Yone said. “Just proof that we survived the first week.”
“Did you?” Ezreal asked.
“Barely.”

Another swipe, now a series of photos in quick succession, taken during the second week:
Yuji in Yone’s arms at home, both of them wrapped in a blanket, the early sunlight pouring through the curtains. Then Yue in the same spot, hair messy, smiling at the camera while Yone held the baby up between them.
Then all three together, Yue leaning against Yone, Yuji tucked between them, both parents looking half-asleep but impossibly content.
K’Sante’s voice broke the silence first. “You took those yourself?”
“Timer,” Yone said. “She said we needed one picture with all of us, in case the world ended. I told her the world already had everything I wanted in one room.”

Ezreal sniffed, wiping his eyes. “Okay, I can’t, this is too much.” Sett laughed softly. “You’re seriously gonna make us cry, man.”
Yone’s smile was small but real. “You asked.”

He swiped again, slower now.vYuji, three weeks old, lying in Yone’s lap, wearing a tiny dark-blue onesie that said ‘Mini Noise Maker’.
“That was Yue’s joke,” Yone said, chuckling quietly. “She said he inherited my bass tone and her chaos.”
Ezreal laughed. “That tracks.”
“Does he have your music sense?” Sett asked.
“He hums in key,” Yone said. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

The final photo was different, black and white. Yue in the villa, sitting by the window, baby in her arms, Yone beside her, one hand resting gently over Yuji’s back.
“She had this printed,” Yone said. “She said it was the only picture where I didn’t look like I was thinking about what could go wrong.”
K’Sante smiled faintly. “Were you?”
“Always,” Yone said quietly. “Still am.”

He reached for the remote, ready to turn off the screen, but Ezreal stopped him.
“Wait,” he said softly. “You look… happy there. You can see it.” Yone looked at the photo again, the three of them framed in light and quiet. He exhaled slowly, the kind of breath that remembers. “I was,” he said. “I think I still am. Just in a different way.” He turned off the TV. The room dimmed back into stillness.

Yuji stirred against him, tiny fingers tightening once before relaxing again. Yone brushed a hand over his hair, voice barely above a whisper. “He was the first sound that ever made me stop worrying about silence.”
Ezreal blinked hard, smiling. “You should write that down.”
“I already did,” Yone murmured. “It’s a song he doesn’t know is his.”