The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]

Truly, just when the Chief of Staff thought this guy couldn’t possibly surprise him any further, Jax somehow found another way to do exactly that.

”I want to be a positive addition to your life,” he said simply. ”So I can’t exactly be the first person to ignore the things that are already working well for you, right?”

Well.

May hell kindly reserve him a spot, because at that exact moment, Killian thought he might actually cream himself.

There were plenty of things capable of sending his thoughts into complete frenzy, but hearing something like that as someone who happened to be Killian Nox?

That was right up there with the kind of statement that warranted preparing for a nosebleed. He instinctively lifted a hand toward his nose as though making sure it hadn’t actually happened.

But come to think of it, Jax had never really asked how Killian planned to reduce his workload. At most, he’d asked whether there were workarounds so they could transfer spiritual energy back when Isabelle hadn’t hatched yet.

Not once had he questioned how Killian intended to balance a relationship with all the responsibilities he already carried. More importantly, he never made Killian feel as though he had to choose between the things he cared about or implied that he didn’t understand what truly mattered, when everything he’d done until now had been to keep those very people safe.

To think those were always the questions he got.

The exact same questions that had him swearing off blind dates people tried setting him up on.

Ridiculous.

But somehow, of all people...

He was hearing this from Jax.

Maybe his decisions hadn’t been as irrational as he’d feared.

After collecting himself, Killian finally said, ”Okay. I get it. Never mind... that.”

He briefly tried to think of a more appropriate way to refer to their earlier extracurricular activities, only to settle on something so painfully generic he couldn’t believe his parents had paid so much for his education.

Moving on...

”But even if we’ve got something scheduled tomorrow, we can’t just pretend what happened back at the lounge never happened, can we? I know it’s already late, but wouldn’t it be worse if we kept putting off talking about it?”

He genuinely didn’t want Jax thinking he’d forgotten about it when, in reality, it had been sitting at the front of his mind the entire time.

Then, as if determined to keep surprising him tonight, Jax answered in the most unexpected way possible.

”Well, I didn’t think there was any reason to squeeze it into tonight when it was already this late,” he said simply. ”Besides, I knew that, of all people, you wouldn’t treat me unfairly.”

The words, coupled with the absentminded nuzzle accompanying them, made Killian’s thoughts stumble all over again.

He straightened instinctively and practically screeched, ”Of course.”

”See? I knew you’d keep me in mind.”

”I would.”

”And I also know you’d think about what’s best for both of us.”

”Mmm.”

At this point, Killian answered almost automatically because everything Jax was saying felt like common sense. After all, why would he ever short-change this overly obedient rascal?

”So,” Jax continued smoothly, ”even if we’re not getting married anytime soon, and we’re not officially engaged or anything... we could at least date each other exclusively, right?”

”Right.”

The answer left Killian’s mouth before his brain managed to catch it.

A second later, his eyes widened.

”!!!”

He whipped his head around.

”No, wait a minute.”

He’d been so busy agreeing that he completely failed to notice the very specific direction the conversation was heading. In fact, he hadn’t just followed it willingly; he’d enthusiastically marched himself right into the cliff.

But the indignant words sitting at the tip of Killian’s tongue never made it out. Jax merely blinked at him, his lashes fluttering with infuriating innocence, and somehow he ended up disarmed.

”...?!”

”Do I not even qualify for getting to know each other exclusively?”

Now, when it was phrased like that...

What exactly was Killian supposed to say?

The rascal in front of him already shared a daughter with him.

They’d practically exchanged and swallowed each other’s DNA not even ten minutes ago.

And now this same man was asking whether they could at least date exclusively.

How was anyone even supposed to respond to that?

So, after a brief silence and an admittedly strangled cough, Killian said, ”N-no. I was just thinking maybe that isn’t enough. I was considering drafting a few agreements so you’d have something concrete to hold on to.”

That wasn’t something he’d come up with just because he’d been left speechless.

On the contrary, it had been one of the first things he’d thought about.

He simply hadn’t known how to bring it up without sounding like a prick most assumed him to be.

And since he still hadn’t managed to come up with anything better...

Well, that was what came out.

If anyone thought that wasn’t remotely romantic, then they were welcome to think so.

Killian, however, considered it necessary.

After all, saying they were this or that didn’t really amount to much in any legal sense. And while it wasn’t exactly the conventional order of things, they quite literally shared Isabelle. Given the nature of his work, he couldn’t possibly be satisfied with offering nothing more than endearing words.

Whether Jax needed it or not was beside the point. Killian simply believed he ought to contribute the best he could.

And even if they didn’t progress into anything more, he still wanted the redhead and the little bee to have something tangible.

But now they were in this situation, and he’d just agreed to it with his own mouth. Even so, one question kept nagging at him because the more he thought about it, the less it made sense from his perspective.

”By any chance... Do you not want the next steps?”

After all, Jax could’ve reasonably asked for much more. Someone out there literally ended up married because of a kiss, whereas they’d somehow managed to progress considerably further than that, and yet all the redhead wanted was for them to date exclusively.

He was admittedly rattled by that.

Did Jax genuinely not want anything beyond that?

”No, I do.”

”...You do?”

”Of course!”

”Then... are you really alright with just dating exclusively?”

Listening to himself, one would’ve thought Killian was prepared to get married on the spot. The irony wasn’t lost on him considering he’d started all this by trying to figure out how to maintain a good working relationship, never once imagining it would somehow lead here.

Jax, the person who had remained as steadfast as day one, smiled.

”It’s already a big step. The reason I didn’t want to ask for a promotion right away is because I also want you to want it just as much as I do...

”I’d rather we take our time so I can coax you to want me the way I want you.” His voice sounded far too casual and unintimidating for something that almost had the young official choking.

Just how does one reply to that?

Killian felt as though his ears might fold in on themselves after hearing something so shamelessly sincere.

Between the two of them, Jax really was built differently.

Unique enough that while the young official was still trying to find solid ground—or at least the mattress beneath him—the redhead had already moved on and casually added, ”Sorry for making you jealous earlier. I honestly didn’t mean to. But thank you for kissing me earlier, Honey. It made me really happy.”

”??!”

Before Killian could even react, Jax leaned in and pressed a fleeting kiss against the back of his neck.

”Y-you!”

Completely overwhelmed, Killian grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it at the redhead.

”What the hell?!”

He was genuinely going to lose his mind if this conversation continued.

”Who’s your Honey?!”

Jax effortlessly dodged the pillow before standing up so quickly that Killian almost hissed in disbelief.

The redhead tilted his head.

”Too specific? Would you rather be ’darling’ or ’babe’ instead? Hmm... maybe something even more personalized?”

The worst part was that he sounded completely serious.

Another pillow immediately flew in his direction.

This one, Jax caught.

”You!”

Killian shot upright.

”Get back here this instant!”

Instead of obeying, the rascal of all rascals calmly collected and placed both pillows back on the bed before heading toward the bathroom.

”Are you escaping right now?!” Killian demanded, his thoughts in complete disarray.

”No.”

Jax actually laughed.

This guy!

He would really dare act like this to his eld—

”I just need to take care of something unless I want to make you uncomfortable while we’re sleeping.”

”Huh?”

Still thoroughly flustered, Killian genuinely had no idea what he was talking about. Earlier, he’d been so completely focused on the kissing that everything else had simply ceased to exist.

Jax turned around and gestured toward himself.

”This is still a bit... enthusiastic,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. ”I figured you probably wouldn’t appreciate it poking you while we’re trying to sleep.”

Killian instinctively followed where Jax’s hand was pointing—and saw what had to be a literal third leg tenting over there.

”!”

Something in his brain actually short-circuited, and his eyes widened, completely unable to use any of the words he used to pride himself on.

Seeing no actual objection—mostly because Killian had become entirely incapable of producing one—Jax turned to continue toward the bathroom.

Then, halfway there, he suddenly looked back over his shoulder.

As though worried Killian might misunderstand, the hopelessly unpredictable man flashed him a bright, boyish grin.

”Don’t worry,” he said. ”Now that I officially have a boyfriend, I can promise I’ll only be thinking about you. I won’t stray, not even in my thoughts!”

”...!”

Killian Nox, whose brain had once been perfectly reliable, felt something quietly snap inside him.

He slowly tipped backward until he was lying flat on the bed.

He was so dead.

Absolutely, undeniably dead.

The most horrifying part was that his next thought after thinking about weapons of mass destruction wasn’t even about burying Jax six feet underground.

No. It was wondering why Jax had to go all the way to the bathroom for that.