Warmth | Meruem

3 - The Bet

THIRD PERSON

"If you lose, what will you offer me?" Meruem observes Mehana with his startling fuchsia eyes. The girl across from him can only stare at the game beneath her in deep thought.

"Well...I don't have anything other than my life." Mehana smiles. "My life it is then."

"If I lose, I will offer you my eyes." He says without hesitation.

"Your Majesty-!" Shaiapouf stands up in astonishment before getting interrupted by Meruem. Mehana can only sit in her spot, her eyes wide in awe. No sane being would bet their sight for a game after all.

"Shut it." The King glares at Pouf, who could only sit down, trembling in anguish. The thought of his King, his one and only light, sacrificing his eyes for a game of chess was simply atrocious to him.

"Um...I don't think you need to go that far." Mehana broke the tension.

"You said my eyes were beautiful, did you not? Doesn't that imply that you want them? If you win this match then I will hand them over. But keep in mind that I came prepared." His tail curled, causing me to shiver. He then looks down on the board before starting the game with his first move.

MEHANA

"Checkmate." I placed my piece on the board with a smile. I waited for a reaction from the King.

"...It is my loss. Then as said before, I will hand over my eyes." His hand crept up to his face and I used my fast reflexes to grab his wrist.

"Your Majesty, please don't do this!" Pouf rushes over and kneels. "Your eyes shouldn't be wasted on such a little game!"

"...Do you not want my eyes?" His Majesty suddenly looks at me, completely disregarding the presence of Pouf. The sight of the King ignoring Pouf was quite amusing. But I then realized how close we were. I was touching him for the first time too...wow. I shook my head to clear out my mind.

"Well...it isn't that I don't want them but I want them to be intact to your body. Your eyes look fascinating only because you have them so please don't rip them out!" I answered quickly and nodded vigorously. He stared at me for a moment before lowering his hand. I sighed in relief.

"Thank God you didn't do anything foolish..." I released my hold on his wrist.

"Foolish? We made a bet. I was only going to keep it." He mumbled. "Well, you won so you deserve a reward at least. Is there anything you want?"

I paused and pondered. Anything I want?

"I don't have anything in mind right now. Maybe in the future?" I smile. He nods before standing and making a hand gesture that said 'come here.' I did as he said and approached him in confusion.

"You are my punching bag." He states monotonously. I flinch at his words before laughing nervously.

"Um...yes?" I started fidgeting with my fingers. He stares intensely at me, his tail wagging back and forth. Is he going to smack me with it or what?

"Uh...Your Majesty, are you not going to smack me?" I couldn't help but ask when he didn't do anything but stare.

"...I don't want to." He says and looks away. My heart flipped when I saw him avert his eyes. What is that expression he had on? That troubled gaze and the downward curve of his lips. Embarrassment? Confusion? Frustration? Which one is it!?

"May I dare ask why you don't want to?"

"Pitou said it will take you a day to recover. If you are asleep for that long then no one will play chess with me."

That's the reason!? I couldn't help but pout at his reply. I thought he actually felt remorse for snacking me so many times that day! But in reality, he just cares about playing chess!?

"How infuriating..." I crossed my arms with a pout. The King suddenly looks at me.

"Infuriating?"

"Uh...n-nothing. Shall I take my leave then?" I bow slightly.

"Do whatever." He says without care and sat back on the floor. "I will move onto Gungi. Pouf, call the next one in." He picks up a book and begins to read it. I left the room and passed by a small girl with white hair, her nose full of snot. What caught my attention was that she was using a cane, meaning she is blind.

She's blind yet she can still play Gungi. That is truly remarkable...

With a smile, I hopped over to Pitou's room in search of entertainment.

"Piiiitooooouu-" I froze, seeing a familiar man within the dark room. That tall and slender body, the long white hair, but most importantly, Pitou, who was kicking, punching, and dodging Kite.

"...Kite?" My voice cracked when I saw the numerous cuts and stitches on his body. His eyes were bulged out and crazed. His body moved too predictably yet the moves became more difficult to counter as time passed. It was like a game. A game made just for Pitou.

I gritted my teeth, tears threatening to fall. Were humans really just a source of food and entertainment for these ants!? Is that all we were in their eyes!?

I knew Kite because he was Ging's student. Since my father was Chairman Netero, he was obviously connected to the Zodiacs. Ging is the boar and when he met me, he also happened to have Kite by his side. That was how we met each other.

However, this isn't the Kite I knew from before.

I stare in horror as Pitou's ability controlled him like a puppet performing in a show.

"You did this?" My lips trembled. "Why? What did he do to you?"

"...He was going to intrude our nest so I did my duty and got rid of him. But he was fun to fight with so I wanted to make him my new toy." Pitou looks at me without emotion. I don't know what to feel right now. I thought Pitou would be a good friend to have but now it seems that I was mistaken.

The friend I wanted to make killed a friend of mine. How am I supposed to react to this? What am I even feeling?

Sadness. Anger. Betrayal?

Pitou was never a friend from the beginning...were they?

"..." Tears ran down my face and I could only run back to my room. Pitou didn't chase me nor call my name. They simply just stared.

"They...killed Kite..." I mumbled and buried myself in the blankets. "Just when I thought I was warming up to them...they just had to reveal that..."

Pitou...I don't think I can see you as a friend anymore...not in the future and definitely not now...