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Chapter Text

Desperation and worry. Both of these feelings were consuming Caine as he paced back and forth in the training room. He had just finished up with Pomni, and she was good, don't get him wrong, but she did not have anywhere near enough strength or body mass to match her upcoming opponents. He tried to add to her body weight, but as far as they were both concerned, Pomni was simply destined to be thin. Her agility and strategy was impressive, which would typically be more than enough to guarantee success. Unfortunately, if all some of her more heavyweight foes had to do was grab her to be able to snap her like a twig, her chances weren't looking great. Pomni was fast, but not that fast. Or at least not fast enough to soothe Caine, who's pacing was getting so quick it was starting to exert him. He needed a way to ensure Pomni's victory. She was desperate to go back home, and if this had even the slightest chance of getting her there, Caine wouldn't rest until she had gotten it. He couldn't stand the thought of her getting hurt, anyway. Well, scrapes and bruises were almost required, but the idea of anything getting broken or worse made Caine break out in a cold sweat. 

He finally stopped his pacing and slammed his fist on his open palm as an idea came to him, as much as it made his skin crawl. Playing fair was no longer an option when they had started with such skewed odds. If he couldn't put Pomni at an advantage, Caine would have to put her opponents at a disadvantage. How, though, was the next question left to answer, leading Caine to sigh and continue his pacing. He didn't like having to cheat, so he made a compromise to only do what was truly necessary. The biggest problem would require being taken care of, while he might have been able to deal with everyone else in a more civilised manner. It would be assumed that the biggest problem in question was Jax, considering he was at the top of the ranks. However, this wasn't the case. He was medium weight at best, and Caine was sure Pomni could handle him if he pushed her a bit more in their upcoming training sessions. The issue was the tank of the crew. Kinger.

He was like a living brick wall that had 'leave now or die' spray painted on it. Pomni had the potential to outspeed and maybe even outsmart him, but any hits she could have landed would have been mere pokes and prods, at least if she didn't find a weak point. As far as Caine was concerned, Kinger didn't have those. So Caine would have to attack him outside of the fight in a far more subtle way. Poison, maybe? No, the goal was to make things easier for Pomni, not make her fight a corpse. He wasn't even sure where he could get something like that, especially something that wasn't too lethal or obvious. It had too many complications. 

Bribery? Money was a part of the winning awards, which could be used to buy upgrades as well as prove the fighter's prowess. Caine definitely had money. If he paid Kinger more than what he would be given for beating Pomni, that should be enough to convince him to let Pomni win. Hopefully he would be willing to still put on an act, though. It might hurt Pomni's feelings if Kinger very obviously forfeited the match. She didn't have to know. She just had to win. Just as Caine was about to stop his pacing again, another realisation urged him to continue. 

The reward for winning was big, but Caine had the money to give double to Kinger. However, that was still a lot, and it would leave Caine with a lot less. Also, Kinger didn't seem like the kind of man who fought just for money. He had plenty already from his previous wins. It was nothing more than pointless numbers adding together. Caine could still try, but it was not as guaranteed to work as he had initially thought. Perhaps he would have to pay him in a different way. 

The idea that came to his mind forced Caine to halt, his body freezing while his teeth burned. He would have never even considered something like that usually, but much to his detriment, he'd do anything for Pomni. He thought about it further, trying to ignore how it didn't seem like such a horrid plan. A heavy sigh left his mouth and his shoulders slumped. He might as well try that first, then offer the money. The more money he kept, the more he had to spend on helping Pomni. He was not looking for excuses to give Kinger that special payment. Caine repeated that to himself like a mantra as he left the training room. No matter what happened the next day, Caine was sure he would have to spend the rest of his life trying to live it down. 

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Caine stood outside of Kinger's personal training room. It was almost more of an area than a room, considering its size. He could hear Kinger beating the figurative life out of the punching bags inside when he leaned in close to the door, which he had done several times while he was standing there for no good reason. It was a poor excuse for stalling, he knew that, but he didn't know what else to do. Well, he did know. He had spent too much of the previous day planning it out. It was just that now that he had to execute it, suddenly watching Pomni get all of her joints bent backwards by the muscular chess piece didn't sound so bad. 

Caine fidgeted with his hands before he finally reached out and lightly knocked on the door. It was quiet, and with how the loud sounds of gloves colliding with solid leather continued, there was no way Caine could've been heard. After a few moments of waiting, the punching noises persisting throughout, Caine let out a relieved sigh and turned on his heel.

"Oh, shucks, guess he's too busy! What a shame," Caine muttered to himself. He wasn't sure who the overdramatic tone was for, but he didn't have time to question it as the punching stopped. Caine's pulse seemed to come to an abrupt stop as he cautiously turned back around to face the door. All too soon, Kinger opened it, seeming mildly surprised to find Caine on the other side. His eyebrows furrowed.

"What do you want?" His tone was more bored than sharp, but he still sounded far from overjoyed to see Caine. 

"I- Well- It just- Uh, I wanted-" Caine took a deep breath, calming his nerves and stilling his shaking hands as best he could. The large chess piece before him had always been intimidating, especially when he had to be face to face with him like this. "May I come inside? I have a deal to propose." 

When Kinger did nothing but arch an eyebrow at Caine, the manager worried his offer would be refused immediately. But then, after far too long for his liking, Kinger gestured for Caine to enter. Wasting no time to even think about this gift horse's mouth, Caine walked into the room before Kinger could reconsider. He felt a bit of relief, feeling as if getting to that point would be one of the hardest parts of his plan. When Caine turned back to Kinger, however, that relief was quickly washed away by the look of contempt he was met with. 

"Ah, thank you kindly, Kinger! Now, I have an offer..." While Caine was struggling to find the right words, Kinger interrupted.

"First you say it's a deal, now it's an offer. Just tell me what you're getting at so I can make you leave." Kinger's tone was definitely sharp this time, but Caine almost didn't hear it as he glanced up to finally fully take in Kinger's appearance.

There was a thin layer of sweat on Kinger's face, and his breathing was slightly heavier than normal, meaning he had been likely working out for a while before Caine had arrived. His robe and crown were draped over a chair in the far corner, leaving him in just his undershirt and pants. Kinger's figure was usually hard to properly discern under the large fluff of his robe, but now his silhouette was visible to Caine, and the manager was perplexed by the warmth the sight made him feel. After a pointed cough from the chess piece, Caine stopped admiring and continued with his original plan, despite how much he had already botched it.

"Well, you know about the new fighter, Pomni? You probably also know you'll have to fight her eventually and, um... I-I was wondering if I could convince you to go easy on her? It's just, no matter what I do, I can't seem to get her into a state where she stands a real chance against you, and I want her walking out of that ring alive, not to mention victorious." Caine took a break to breathe, as his speaking had gotten faster the more he said. Kinger took this opportunity to respond.

"I'm not just going to forfeit the fight because you asked. From everything else you've said, I'm guessing you intend to bribe me?" Caine laughed nervously as Kinger's eyes narrowed.

"Uh, maybe, yes," Caine admitted, "but it'll be worth it! For both of us. I have a few things I can give you, if you're willing to take them..?"

Kinger hummed low in thought. "Well, that depends what you have on offer."

Caine had to remind himself to keep breathing. It was the perfect opening for his real plan to begin. All he had to do was coax Kinger. He just hoped he would be good enough at it. Caine stepped closer to Kinger and leaned towards him, causing a somewhat confused look to appear on Kinger's face. Caine tried his best to use a seductive voice, which he had been practising the night before for this purpose.

"How about I give you something special? Something only I can offer?" Kinger seemed to be unable to think as he heard the manager's tone, taking a few seconds to respond.

"What, exactly, can you offer me that I would actually want?" 

That was one of the biggest potential problems with Caine's plan. If Kinger didn't actually want him, then he was simply making a fool of himself and risking making Kinger not want to take any bribes from him. He'd gone this far, though. Somehow, a part of him was still telling him it was worth a try. 

"I know you've gotten quite a lot from being such a talented and strong fighter," Caine made sure to put emphasis on every word of praise he said, "but I can't help but think you might be getting lonely..."

The slight widening of Kinger's eyes filled Caine with more confidence, despite the majority of his brain screaming at him to run and hide where he would never have to face Kinger again. Then Kinger's face relaxed, a new smug air about him. "Just out of curiosity, how many other times have you whored yourself out like this to get what you want?"

Caine's teeth became dusted with red. He hadn't expected Kinger to catch on so quickly, but then again, the chess piece was far from a fool. "W-well, um, not really... I-I mean, I h-haven't, before." Caine reigned in his stuttering, his determination renewed as he moved closer and started tracing shapes on Kinger's chest with his finger. "I've never wanted to do this for another man. But I just can't resist you, Kinger. Surely you'll let me be yours, won't you? All you have to do is let Pomni win..."

Kinger managed to fight the blush rising to his own cheeks, surprisingly having a lot less against Caine's touch than he had originally predicted. After giving it a moment's thought, Kinger put his large hands on Caine's waist and pulled him close enough that their bodies were pressed together. "Is this what you want? Are you just using Pomni as an excuse to try and seduce me?"

Caine made a choked and startled noise as Kinger pulled him close, his teeth a bright red. Upon further consideration, his plan was working a bit too well. "I-it's not an excuse, it's m-more of a, uh, reason, really! A-all business, you know!" 

Kinger's grip didn't let up. "I don't know what 'business' you think this is, but trying to fuck the competition isn't typically a part of it." 

"Well, I'm- I'm desperate... Pomni needs to win this and I-..." Caine remembered the situation he was in. This was no time for honesty. He regained his overly sensual tone, "I need you, Kinger. I'm sure you feel the same, considering how you're, ah, holding me right now."

The chess piece stared down at Caine's face long enough that Caine had to look away. A rather good opportunity was being presented to him. Caine had been right about him getting lonely, although he wouldn't quite admit it yet. Now that he had the small manager so close, he couldn't deny his beauty. A one night stand with him didn't seem all that bad. Kinger moved his hands down to cup Caine's ass, finding the squeak it elicited very amusing. "Your flirting is almost pathetic, but you are pretty. Very pretty. I think I'll take you up on that offer."

Caine couldn't do it. He had no clue what he was even trying to accomplish. Well, he did, technically. He was trying to have sex with Kinger as a form of bribery. But it was only now that his plan had succeeded did he realise how absolutely absurd it was. He might have done anything for Pomni, but everything comes with exceptions. The worst part of it all was that he didn't want to stop. He wanted to drown in the feeling of Kinger's giant hands on him. It scared him. Caine did his best to move back from Kinger, which thankfully caused the fighter to relinquish his hold, even if Caine wanted him to never let go. Caine quickly snapped his fingers, spawning a suitcase full of money, and shoved it against Kinger's broad chest.

"AHAHAH YES WELL, SORRY BUT I WAS MERELY FOOLING AROUND!" Caine spoke quickly, torn between leaving and going back into Kinger's strong hands. "This is twice the money you would have gotten for beating Pomni! We can discuss more later and I'm sure we can come to an agreement!"

Kinger seemed slightly frazzled by the sudden tone change, and he held onto the suitcase as if he'd never seen an object like it before. "Caine, I-"

"ANYWAY GOODBYE KINGER!!!" Caine snapped his fingers again, this time teleporting himself to his own room, where he promptly collapsed on his bed and screamed into his bedding. What the hell was that?! Caine thought to himself. Why did he even try such a stupid idea? Hopefully Kinger would accept the money, and Caine would be able to forget how those hands felt on him. 

Kinger felt a wave of disappointment when Caine left. Sure, the money was still nice, but Caine certainly felt a lot nicer to hold. He set the suitcase down on the edge of his small, private fighting ring and sighed. Caine had said they could discuss their arrangement further, so maybe he could use that to his advantage. Just to see if he could. 

Chapter Text

It had been two days since Caine's absolutely pitiful attempt at seducing Kinger, and despite what he had hoped, Caine was plagued by memories of every single second of what had happened. Pomni had started to get worried, as he hadn't seemed fully there when she was training. They were supposed to be putting as much effort as they could into pushing Pomni to her limits and beyond, as she was going to face Gangle the next day. Caine just needed to focus. Thankfully, Pomni was able to give suggestions of what to practice every time Caine drew a blank, which was often. From what she knew about Gangle, she needed to be quick and crafty. Caine tried to help. He really did. But every other minute his mind became swamped with how Kinger's giant hands had felt on him. How he wanted more. 

Unfortunately, think of the devil, and you shall hear news of him fighting your latest opponent. Caine really did not want to go. He knew he would either be beaten within an inch of his life, if he was lucky, for the stunt he had pulled on Kinger the other day, or he would become far too enamoured by Kinger and would have to face his infuriating feelings yet again. Pomni was perplexed, to say the least, when Caine had tried to convince her that they didn't need to go. They would be able to see how Gangle fought and any potential weak points she might have, which was a great opportunity and Pomni couldn't fathom why Caine was passing it up. If Caine was just a bit better at saying 'no' to Pomni, maybe they wouldn't have started to walk over to one of the main fighting rings. They could have teleported, which Pomni brought up, and the excuse Caine had given was nonsensical enough that she simply dropped it. In truth, he was stalling. Praying that during the walk, someone would have sympathy for his poor soul and shoot him right then and there. Sadly, he did not feel the sweet relief of a lethal bullet at any point during the walk. 

When they arrived at the ring, one of the first things Caine's eyes landed on was Kinger. Relatively oblivious to Caine's distress, Pomni spoke casually,

"Hey, I'm gonna ask Kinger about the fight. I didn't know anyone would be fighting anyone other than me, and you've been almost useless when it comes to answering questions lately."

There was no malice or annoyance in Pomni's voice. She was simply stating a fact. Caine had been less than helpful as of late, which he would have to try and make up for if he could get that damned chess piece out of his head for five seconds. Just as Caine was about to agree, he processed everything else she had said. She was going to talk to Kinger. Kinger knew Caine wanted him to forfeit his upcoming match to Pomni. That was something he couldn't risk his fighter learning.

"W-wait, you're going to talk to Kinger?? That's really not necessary, there's probably no important reason for the fight!" Pomni didn't like how nervous Caine was acting, and he could sense it. He shrinked back a bit in shame as his speech slowed to a more reasonable pace. "I mean, I guess you can. J-just be careful, he's not the most gentle soul, you know."

Boy, did he know that. Those hands had been rough and powerful, a want behind them that was going to be fulfilled no matter what. Pomni's gentle sigh brought Caine out of his thoughts before they could get any worse. "I'll be careful. Try and calm down. He really doesn't seem like he'd attack anyone outside of a ring."

Caine watched with shaking hands as Pomni walked over to Kinger. He could hear their conversation from where he was standing, and he wasn't sure whether to look at them or not. 

"Hi, Kinger. Uh, I wanted to know w-why you're fighting Gangle today?" Caine almost relaxed as he focused on Pomni's voice. She usually stuttered when she talked to people she wasn't familiar with. She had gotten far better at approaching others though, the fighting giving her confidence. He just hoped it didn't give everyone else the impression that she was weak. She was one of the strongest people Caine had ever met, in more ways than one. 

Kinger seemed to be studying Pomni, and Caine hoped with all his might that he wouldn't tell her everything he wanted to keep secret. After what couldn't have been more than a second and a half, but what Caine was sure was hours, Kinger responded in a far nicer tone than Caine had anticipated.

"Oh, it's just some friendly sparring. Sometimes the others fight because of arguments and stuff, though. Typically the sparring isn't so public, but since I heard you need to fight both of us, I thought you might benefit from watching us in action." Pomni smiled, and Caine waited for a snarky remark or insult that never came. There wasn't even a hint that Kinger wanted Pomni to know what had happened between the two men. Caine was baffled and relieved beyond words, his heart swelling in a slightly different way than usual when he saw the considerate manner in which Kinger interacted with Pomni. Why did he have to be so damn appealing?

After thanking Kinger and wishing him good luck, Pomni went back over to Caine. "Well, that was a lot easier than you made it seem. I get that he's big, but I don't understand why else you're so intimidated by him."

Caine held his tongue, not even sure he could explain it if he tried. Thankfully, before he had to think of another excuse, Kinger climbed into the ring, Gangle following shortly after. The rookie and her manager moved to a better spot for spectating, and Caine fidgeted with his tie while Pomni looked calculatingly at the fighters before her. While they were getting on either end of the ring, Caine tried to keep his eyes from getting fixed on Kinger, failing miserably. He watched as the chess piece got into a fighting stance and found himself silently begging for Kinger to take his robe off for the fight. Caine was ashamed of his disappointment when that didn't happen. Gangle eyed Kinger patiently, and when she was met with a small nod of confirmation, they launched at each other, moving so smoothly and quickly that Caine could barely process it as real. Perhaps he had made a good decision in trying to bribe Kinger. 

Caine stared as Kinger struck and twisted, admiring every move his body made. He abandoned his fear of gawking at Kinger, finding the sight far too enchanting to ignore. His breath caught in his throat when Gangle managed to tie Kinger up with her ribbons, wishing it was because he feared Kinger losing and not because the sight of Kinger in such a position nearly drove him insane. That was when Kinger glanced to the side to find Caine's widened and awe-filled eyes, which Caine didn't notice until it was too late. He tried to look away, but then Kinger winked at him, making his teeth become flushed. Before Caine could even comprehend what that could have meant, Kinger leapt up and managed to untangle himself from Gangle, throwing her against the ropes.

Before she could recover enough to attack again, he grabbed one of her arms and swung her around above his head. He threw Gangle down onto the floor of the ring, and she bounced a bit before collapsing at the far end, with Kinger walking up to her slowly. She raised her ribbons in defeat.

"Alright, that's enough. You win." Kinger's expression relaxed and he offered a hand for Gangle to take. He helped her up, and she gave him a light-hearted glare. Kinger chuckled, and Caine felt like he might have crumpled to the floor at any moment. He wasn't sure if he had ever heard such a mirthful noise come from the chess piece, but he was sure that he wanted to hear it again. The fighter's continued to chat as they got out of the ring, but Caine struggled to figure out what they were saying. After a few moments, Pomni nudged his shoulder, making him jump.

"Caine, are you okay? I've never seen your teeth go red like that before. Is something wrong?"

He put his hands to his warm teeth in a futile attempt to cover them. "E-everything's fine, Pomni! Nothing to worry about!" She narrowed her eyes and prepared to speak again before Kinger strode over, having finished talking to Gangle.

He acknowledged Pomni with a slight nod before he leaned down to whisper to Caine. "Meet me in my training room. I want to discuss your... proposal." 

Caine barely managed to keep his shiver at bay, and Kinger stood upright again with a smug look in his eyes before he walked off, Caine having to keep himself from watching him leave. Pomni crossed her arms and asked with a dry tone, "So, you wanna tell me what that was about?" 

Her manager turned back to her, but failed to meet her eyes. "Nothing too important!" Caine changed the subject quickly. "Now, let's go back to your area! You can use what you've just learnt to prepare even better!" 

Caine linked arms with Pomni and snapped his fingers, teleporting them both back to her training room. Typically, he would stall, but Caine didn't want to risk making Kinger wait. It was a miracle he didn't seem angry about what had happened, and he would rather it stayed that way.

"My dear, I have something I need to take care of. I trust you can manage on your own for a bit?" Pomni huffed out a laugh from how Caine spoke like she was a child.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll try not to burn the place down while you're gone." Caine tried to distract his increasing anticipation and fear with Pomni's humour.

"Excellent! If I'm not back in a few hours, feel free to start writing my eulogy!" The last thing Caine heard before he teleported away was Pomni's laughter, which did help calm him a bit, even if he hadn't entirely been joking about the eulogy thing. Now he was once again standing in front of the door to Kinger's training room, and a strong sense of deja vu overcame him. This time, though, he didn't wait as long, as he knew he was welcome this time. He admittedly didn't feel too welcome, but it still wasn't an invitation he was going to turn down. 

He knocked on the door, unfortunately not having any punching noises to at least help drown him out. From inside, he heard Kinger call out, "Come in."

Caine cautiously opened the door and stepped inside, being met with Kinger lounging on a chair in the corner with his robe draped over the back of it. There was that deja vu again, the sight of Kinger with less layers than usual bringing back a feeling he tried to describe as something other than pleasant. There was a smirk in Kinger's eyes as he straightened his back and stood, starting to walk over to Caine.

"Let's get to business, as you called it the other day." Caine blushed a bit at the reference to their last conversation, remembering Kinger's teasing. "I checked it, and you did give me twice the reward money. However, it's not quite enough. Willingly losing to a rookie like Pomni is a big ask, you know. In terms of honour and reputation and all that. There's more to it than mone-"

"Oh I'm sorry, I know, it's a lot to ask of someone like you! Of course, I can give you more money if you like! However much you want, you can have it! A-although, I didn't mention last time, it would be great if your loss could look real because I don't want to risk Pomni being upset with me if she found out I did something like this, I wouldn't want her to-"

"Caine." The singular firm word was enough to stop Caine's rambling immediately. He looked to the floor, embarrassed. Kinger sighed. "So, you want me to put on a bit of an act as well? I can do my best, but I can't guarantee perfection. Also, if you hadn't cut me off, you would've heard that money isn't all I want. I'll still take it, but there's something else I want along with it."

Caine's hands clenched into fists at his side as his heartbeat started to race. He had a hunch about what Kinger was talking about, and Caine was sure he'd never regretted anything more than that offer he had made. Caine kept himself from frantically rambling again, despite how much he wanted to just to try and keep himself safe from the inevitable. Kinger looked amused by Caine's reactions when he had hardly done anything yet. 

"Tell me, is that other payment of yours still available?" Caine wasn't sure he could breathe, but he forced his lungs to work anyway. He tried to speak, but no words came to mind and no sounds left his mouth, so after a short while of consideration, he nodded. Kinger seemed far more relaxed than Caine was. 

Kinger still waited a bit to see if he could get Caine to speak, but when that didn't happen, he continued talking. "Good." Once again, Caine was affected far too much by one word. "Close your eyes for me."

Caine did as he was told, as much as every part of him seemed to be shaking in a mix of anticipation, fear and excitement. He could hear Kinger approaching, and his mind became filled with what the chess piece could do to him. Would he be grabbed? Tied up? Praised? Degraded? Have his brains fucked out? He didn't quite know how he felt about all those ideas, but the feeling didn't seem negative. Kinger stopped directly in front of him and held the bottom of his face between two fingers, taking great joy in Caine's shaky breaths as he tilted his head up. Kinger waited a few seconds longer before he leaned down and placed a small kiss on Caine's top gums. Caine let out a quiet gasp, his teeth becoming dusted in a bright red. Then, to his further surprise, Kinger let go and stepped away.

"You can open your eyes now." Caine blinked a bit, confused. Surely there had to be something more. Kinger seriously couldn't have just wanted to give him a little kiss, right? "The payment is enough. If Pomni needs it, I'll let her win."

Caine just stood there, dumbfounded, his teeth covered in a rosy glow. There had to be more. Yet, Kinger showed no signs of wanting to do anything else with Caine. He walked back over to his chair and picked up his robe, putting it around himself with such a nonchalant aura Caine felt like screaming at him. Kinger glanced back at Caine as if he expected him to have already left by now.

"Pomni's fighting Gangle tomorrow, right? I grabbed her left arm tighter than usual. She should still be feeling it when the match comes around. Tell Pomni, she can use it as a weak point." Caine had never been so bewildered in his life. Since when was Kinger helpful, let alone towards him? 

Kinger seemed like he was waiting for a response, so Caine eventually blurted out incredulously, "Is that it?" Caine felt the regret instantly, worsened only by Kinger's amused expression. "I-I mean, I just thought, y'know, y-you'd... uh..."

"Go on, pretty boy. I'm sure Pomni's waiting for you." Kinger's snark came back for a moment when he spoke, but Caine couldn't process it over what the chess piece had called him. Caine instinctively gave a small bow, inwardly cursing himself for it when Kinger chuckled. Thankfully he had managed to stop himself from saying 'yes, sir'. Caine gave an awkward wave before he teleported back to Pomni's training room, where she was so busy trying to break her knuckles on the punching bag that it took her a solid minute to notice Caine had returned. 

While he admittedly hadn't wanted Caine to leave, Kinger was satisfied with himself. Overall, the small manager wasn't all that bad. He almost regretted accepting Caine's deal already, as now he would have to find a new excuse to get Caine alone like that. But from Caine's reactions to everything he had done, Kinger was sure it wouldn't be all that difficult to convince him. 

Chapter Text

Pomni stepped out of the ring. Stumbled, more accurately. She had just beaten Zooble, and it had taken far longer than anticipated. She could barely process her victory. Caine, meanwhile, was filled with enthusiasm and rushed to pull Pomni into a tight hug. It was only when he heard Pomni wince did he remember her recently acquired bruises and loosened his grip, but he still didn't let her go. Pomni was more okay with it than she had thought she would be.

"Oh, Pomni, I'm so proud of you! Not to doubt your talent, but I was worried you wouldn't get this far!" Caine finally freed Pomni from his hold, and she smiled at him. He was just about to envelop her in another hug when Kinger walked up to the pair, immediately drawing Caine's eyes to him.

"Pomni," Kinger said, "you've impressed me. Beating both Gangle and Zooble is quite the feat."

Pomni seemed to be regaining her energy already. "Thanks, Kinger. I'm honestly kinda surprised. That fight went on for so long I was worried I was gonna pass out. It's a shame you couldn't give me any helpful tips this time, huh?" 

"I mean, I could've always taken a few swings at Zooble earlier to weaken them, but I don't think that would've ended too well for me. You clearly didn't need it, anyway." 

That was when Caine stopped being able to hear their conversation. It had been multiple days since the last time he was alone with Kinger, but it was like he could still feel his wooden face pressing against his gums. He kept thinking about how he wanted to feel it again. And again. And again. And ag-

"Caine?" Kinger's amused tone pulled Caine from his thoughts. "Have I got something on my face? You seem very distracted by it." 

Caine's teeth warmed as he realised he had accidentally been staring, and far worse, he had been caught. He quickly looked away, pushing all of his previous thoughts deep down. Perhaps he could call on them again when he was alone, but definitely not where he was then. 

"N-no, there's nothing, I just zoned out a bit. Sorry, I didn't even know I was looking at you." Caine's nervous laugh made his lie even less believable, but Kinger didn't press him about it. 

"What I was trying to say was that I wanted to celebrate Pomni's achievements." Kinger turned his attention back to the rookie fighter. "How about you two come over for dinner? Nothing fancy, just a friendly gesture in honour of your success." 

Caine's eyes flicked to Pomni, as he had no idea whether to accept or not. He had personally never seen Kinger perform any sort of 'friendly gesture', or at least not to him. It caused him to feel suspicious, but Pomni didn't need to know that. Caine could make his assumptions, but until they were proven correct, there was no harm in letting Pomni enjoy herself. She deserved a nice dinner and some time to relax, even if it would be one of the most stressful experiences Caine could ever have.

"That sounds great. When do you want us there?" 

"Around six. Caine can show you the way to my place." Pomni raised her eyebrows, and Caine quickly defended himself. 

"I-I've never really been there, but it's connected to his training room! We just have a few, uh, chats there, sometimes." Pomni's expression relaxed and Caine had to hold back a relieved sigh. 

Kinger chuckled. "Alright, I'll leave you both to get ready." As Kinger turned around, he whispered to Caine, "See you at dinner, pretty boy." 

Pomni was once again left confused and curious by the red colouring on Caine's teeth, but she chose not to bring it up that time. She considered walking back to her room for a whole half a second before she extended her hand to Caine so he could teleport them both. "Come on, let's go. I need enough time for everything to stop hurting." 

Caine looked away from where he was watching Kinger leave, and he took Pomni's hand, hoping his shaking wasn't obvious. "Of course! We should have plenty of time."

The few hours the pair had to get ready felt like mere minutes to Caine. He was stood in front of a mirror and repeatedly clicking his fingers, changing his suit and finding none of the elaborate options he had tried so far good enough. He both wanted to keep this professional, despite how that had been abandoned long ago, and to impress Kinger. He didn't like this desire, like all of the other desires he had towards Kinger, but he had given up praying for them to disappear. He just had to ignore it, only appeasing them occasionally to keep them quiet. Pomni knocked on Caine's door, and he tried to keep the nerves out of his voice. 

"Come in, dear!" He called out, "I'm still deciding what to wear, but I don't have to take anything off to change!" 

Pomni somewhat cautiously opened the door, watching Caine change into another different suit with just a snap of his fingers, and she made a small noise of understanding. Caine saw her reflection in the mirror and immediately stopped snapping, turning around to face her. Pomni wore a simple t-shirt and shorts, and Caine almost felt offended. Before he could talk her into wearing something more formal, though, Pomni made her own comment about his outfit. 

"Caine, what part of 'nothing fancy' did you misunderstand?" He looked down at the suit he now wore, which was black with gold accents that practically shined. Perhaps it was a bit much.

"Well, it is a dinner invitation, which typically has formal undertones." Caine chose to ignore Pomni's exasperated head shake. "Besides, it's not like we're close friends with Kinger or anything! Formalities are still needed!" 

Pomni crossed her arms and shrugged. "I don't know about you, but Kinger's my friend." 

Caine was stunned silent. He was filled with that strange warmth again, but not the same one that Kinger alone caused. It was one he got whenever he saw how nice Kinger was to Pomni. It was a sort of happiness he couldn't describe. A joy with a hint of pride that the woman he viewed as his daughter was getting along so well with the man he lo- 

No. Not that word. Not yet, Caine chastised himself. He wasn't ready. He wasn't sure if he would ever be ready. Pomni was getting suspicious about Caine's uncharacteristic lack of words, and he tried to clear his head to keep his focus on the conversation at hand. 

"Well, then I suppose it's fine," Caine said, somewhat defeated. He snapped his fingers one final time, changing himself into a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, along with a pair of black dress pants connected to red suspenders. He turned around to look at himself in the mirror and made a quiet noise of dissatisfaction, but Pomni's smile kept him from complaining. He had to admit, it was still the closest he would come to settling on an outfit. 

As if sensing that Caine was on the verge of changing his mind, Pomni grabbed his hand and led him towards the door. "Come on, you've made us late enough," Caine felt like pointing out how they weren't late, but he came to the conclusion that it wasn't a hill he cared enough to die on. Instead he tried to subtly free himself from Pomni's grip, to no avail. 

Caine knew there was no way out of the dinner, but he thought he'd at least be able to give himself more time. Somehow, he had yet to realise just how bad his habit of stalling was at keeping him from what he feared most.

When they arrived at Kinger's doorstep, Caine was mildly unsure of what to do. Should he knock? Should he just go in? Should he turn around and crawl into a ball on the floor in a corner somewhere? He was just about to get started on the third option when Pomni knocked on the door for him. Kinger didn't take long to answer, and Caine hoped neither of them heard the strangled noise that left his throat at the sight. Kinger had abandoned his robe in favour of a relatively simple suit, but that didn't mean it didn't make Caine's heart rate increase tenfold. Things only got worse for him when he saw the happiness in Kinger's eyes. 

"I'm glad you two could make it. Please, come in," Caine hesitated before walking through the doorway, Pomni following behind him. Kinger was being too nice. Too gentlemanly. He liked it, but he wasn't sure he could trust it. The pair were led through the training room and to Kinger's actual residence, eventually arriving at a dinner table with a decent amount of food on it. 

They didn't actually need food, but they could still taste it, so while it wasn't had frequently it was still enjoyable. Pomni had eaten very little since she had arrived at the Digital Fight Club, initially seeing her ability to live without eating as something very convenient, although she had begun to miss it. She wanted to rush to the table and dig into the meal, but she restrained herself until she was given proper instructions. Kinger gestured towards the table, indicating that they could sit. Pomni was placed at the head of the table while Caine and Kinger sat across from each other, with Caine desperately trying to avoid Kinger's eyes. 

Pomni was too busy reliving the sensation of eating to notice anything the two men were doing. Kinger rested his cheek on his fist as he admired Caine's face. Come on. Look at me. 

"W-what did you say?" Kinger had accidentally muttered his thoughts out loud, and he tried to cover his light blush. 

"Nothing, nothing important," Kinger coughed quietly and straightened his back. While it wasn't quite how he had intended, he had succeeded in getting Caine's eyes on him. 

After a moment of silence, Caine started to eat as well, only pausing after a few bites as it hit him that he had no idea how Kinger was going to eat the food. Now curious, Caine put down his utensils and turned his attention back to the fighter seated across from him. Kinger had his eyes on his plate, so there was minimal risk. The manager observed how well Kinger handled the dainty and intricate knife and fork despite his large hands. He hardly noticed how he was paying far too much attention to all the slightest moves Kinger made. Once Kinger had speared a piece of carrot with his fork and lifted it to his face, he glanced up to see Caine's intent gaze on him, and he chuckled. Caine blushed and frantically looked away again, making Kinger curse inwardly. He could only take so much more of Caine's atrocious subtlety and shyness. 

"Are you trying to see if I have a mouth?" Kinger asked. Caine took the risk of turning his line of sight back on Kinger, and the chess piece continued before Caine could nod. "Now, what use could you possibly get out of me having such a thing?" 

"U-uh, I was just curious how you would eat, that's all!" Caine raised his hands in defence, his brain getting close to short-circuiting from the teasing tone of Kinger's voice. 

"And do you just mean eating food?" Caine stuttered for a bit before giving up. Kinger felt a sense of victory, but also a slight disappointment that it had ended so soon. At least it would be a good while until the dinner was over. Kinger lifted the fork again and opened his concealed mouth, relishing in the gasp it pulled from Caine. He made sure to wrap his tongue around the utensil and food far more than what would be required, let alone normal, all while keeping eye contact with Caine. He couldn't stop staring at the sight before him, trying his hardest to keep the heat in his teeth from spreading to anywhere else. It was only when Pomni made a small sound of disgust did Kinger retract his tongue and look to her, a hint of amusement in his voice. 

"What, can't a guy eat in front of others anymore?" Pomni rolled her eyes, but there was some affection behind it. 

"Not if you're gonna use such an unnecessary amount of tongue." 

Kinger didn't need to say anything else to tease Caine, simply winking at the man and watching the reaction with joy. Pomni was getting more and more sceptical of the two, but before she could ask, Kinger spoke in a more serious manner. 

"I have a confession to make." Caine's heart thundered in his ears. He knew that wasn't it, that couldn't be it, but he felt a glimmer of hope about what this confession might be. Then he felt dread, realising Kinger might be about to admit to the bribery. He hadn't yet, despite his numerous opportunities, but that did little to quell Caine's fears. "This is more than just a friendly gesture. Pomni, I wanted to tell you this in the nicest way I could, because I know how much you want to win and find a way home." 

Kinger paused, and Caine calmed down. It wasn't what he thought. Either of the potentials he thought of. Pomni's voice had an edge to it, as if she could already tell she wouldn't like what Kinger had to say. "What is it?" 

He sighed. "You can't beat Jax." 

"Yes, I can," Pomni shot back, although she wasn't quite angry at Kinger. She was scared. The chess piece held up his hand, ensuring Pomni wouldn't interrupt again. 

"You can't. Not like this. I'm not saying you're a bad fighter. You're one of the best I've ever seen," Kinger waited for the praise to calm Pomni's nerves before he continued. "The problem is that you play fair. Jax always cheats. The scales are never not tilted in his favour. He's always got some hidden advantage, or some handicap waiting to hit his opponent square in the face once they walk into the ring." 

Silence fell on the table. Caine's eyes moved between Kinger and Pomni, but the rookie wasn't looking at either of them. Her gaze was fixed on the plate of food before her. She couldn't win. She couldn't go home. She might even die. None of this was fair. It wasn't fair. 

"So that's it?" Pomni finally said. "No more advice? No help? You invited us to this dinner," she stood, pushing back her chair with a loud scraping noise, "just to tell me that there's no hope?" 

Caine looked like he was fighting the urge to reach out and comfort Pomni, but he knew touch was the last thing she needed in that moment. Kinger remained calm, hoping to combat Pomni's building rage. "I'm sorry. It's not completely hopeless, though. There is a chance you can win, but it's not guaranteed to work. I just thought you deserved to know that your skills have very little to do with winning against Jax." 

"All I had to do was cheat?! What was the point of trying at all if I could've been playing dirty this entire time?!" Caine flinched, which thankfully went unnoticed. It was probably for the best that Pomni didn't know what he had done. 

"It's never a fair game. It never truly was. The fighting talent is useful, but isn't as important as you'd think." Pomni groaned and pushed her palms against her eyes until she saw shapes behind her eyelids. 

"Then why-" She cut herself off with a sharp inhale. After one final glare at the two men, she stormed out. Caine quickly stood to follow her, uttering his first words since her anger had begun to boil. 

"Pomni, please!" Kinger put his hand on Caine's shoulder, which ended up being his upper arm as well due to the size of the hand. Caine snapped his head towards the chess piece, his tone more fiery than Kinger had ever heard from him. "Let me go." 

Kinger disobeyed the command, and instead gave Caine a light squeeze. "Caine, I think she needs some time alone. There's something else I want to talk to you about as well." He could tell how much Caine wanted to run after Pomni, so he said what he hoped would coax him to stay. "It'll help Pomni beat Jax." 

Caine relaxed in Kinger's hold and turned to face him fully. Certain now that the manager wouldn't run off, he let go and stood, wondering if he imagined the look of disappointment and longing in Caine's eyes. He walked around the table until he was in front of Caine. 

"I can tell Jax that I gave Pomni a disadvantage for him. Fed her something wrong, broke a rib, something we can figure out later. He'll have his guard down, giving Pomni the perfect opportunity to finally punch that smug smile off his face. Without any cheats, he's practically nothing, especially compared to what Pomni's already overcome." Kinger was proud of himself for the hope he could see shining in Caine's expression. "We can even bet on Pomni's win, since everyone bets on Jax, so you can get your money back for what you gave me." 

Caine's heart swelled at Kinger's considerate offer. The only problem was that this wasn't what he had paid for. There had to be some other reason Kinger was helping beyond the goodness of his soul. He wanted to believe that it was just because he cared, but he couldn't. "What's the catch?" 

Kinger seemed a bit startled by the near accusation. "What?" 

"What are you getting out of this? Do you want more money?" Caine forced back his blush and tried not to choke on the words. "Some other payment..?" 

The smirk in Kinger's eyes immediately made Caine regret what he had said, but he was still sure there was something the chess piece wanted. "After all this, I thought you'd finally start to trust me," Kinger's teasing only worsened things for Caine, as he found it hard to breathe whenever he spoke like that. "Or are you just that desperate to give me that special payment?" 

"N-no! No, I was just wondering, is all. It would be good to know if I needed to give you anything else for this." 

"Well, you don't. The money you've already given me is enough. However, if you do want to give me that other payment as a bonus, I won't stop you." Kinger winked, and that was all Caine could take. 

"S-sorry, but no! If you'll take the money, then it's not necessary!" Caine was just about to teleport himself to wherever Pomni had headed off to when Kinger grabbed his hand, making his pulse come to a stop. 

"Wait." Kinger's voice was serious again and he held Caine's eyes. "All of this relies on Jax believing and trusting me enough to give Pomni a disadvantage. There's no big reasons why he wouldn't, but it's worth keeping in mind. Don't get your hopes up, and don't tell Pomni. The last thing she needs is another let down." It would be far more than a simple let down, but Caine couldn't think clearly enough to say that thought out loud. Instead, he gave a hesitant nod, trying to think of anything but how Kinger's hand felt on his. 

When Kinger let go, Caine was once again left wishing he hadn't. "I'll go talk to Pomni now." Caine paused uncertainly before he spoke quietly. "Thank you." 

Kinger smiled as well as he could and nodded. "It's what you paid me for." Actually, it wasn't, but Caine decided it wasn't the time to tell him that. After a moment more of enjoying Kinger's gaze on him, Caine clicked his fingers and teleported away. Kinger stared at the spot where Caine had been before he turned back to the unfinished food on the table. A minor inconvenience, compared to what he had accomplished. He was helping. More importantly, he was helping Caine. He knew he should've been focused on getting Pomni to win, but all he could think about was how much more time he would get with the rookie's adorable manager.