With a hard slap, and a splash, Nero and Alto fell into the pool back at their estate.

The staff came outside to see the cause of the loud noise and were disappointed.

Nero stood naked, in a pool, yet again, covered in ash and soot. Alto’s pants were burnt up to his knees, and the ends of his short hair were singed. Unas’ stream of complaints were muffled by the pool as Nero sunk him under to try and block him out.

He tried to walk out of the pool but he couldn’t. Every fight left him more exhausted, and he never gave himself a day to rest. Alto picked him up and carried him to their room as the servants watched in silence and apathy.

They knew it wasn’t worth asking, and even if they knew it wouldn’t change anything.

They only knew they now had to fish a flaming sword out of a filthy pool.

Alto took Nero up to the master bedroom, and into the bathroom. He placed him into the bathtub with care, turned on the water, and started the jets as Nero closed his eyes and sunk into the tub. He was too tired to move, or think, and he wanted the pounding in his head to cease.

Alto stripped what was left of his burnt clothes and threw them on the floor, got into the tub, sat behind Nero, and began to scrub the soot out of his hair. After some time, Nero spoke.

“Why do we act like nothing happened," Nero asked.

“I really don’t know what to say about what happened, but I’m glad it's over. I think my favorite car got crushed…”

He grabbed the conditioner bottle and added more to Nero’s hair. There wasn’t much left and it was still hard to get out all the grime. Alto felt sad seeing his hair gone. It was like a part of him was killed.

“I mean, yeah, that was fucking intense , but how come we never talk about me cheating?”

Alto stopped.

He wasn’t expecting this.

“I told you, and you just kind of accepted it. You didn’t ask how long, or why, you didn’t even ask who until Amos was born."

Alto didn’t want to talk about it. He started to scrub Nero’s head again until he was sure that all the soot was out of his hair. He started to wash his own hair, which thankfully wasn’t as dirty.

Nero turned to look him in the eyes. “Why is it that you can run into a burning building , but whenever I want to talk about our marriage you just can’t do anything?”

Alto didn’t know what to say.

Nero was the only person he was afraid of. Alto could calmly walk past people and tear them apart like wet toilet paper , but once Nero was angry, or sad, he crumbled.

“I want you to tell me what you want," continued Nero. “Tell me how I can make it right. I’m so tired of fighting every day.”

Alto wiggled his toes in the warm water and was pleasantly surprised that Nero was finally doing something he asked him to. He was asking him what he wanted instead of being selfish.

Alto considered crying more often to get what he wanted.

He understood why Nero did it daily.

He washed all the soap out of Nero’s hair and turned him so he could look at him, and they held each other, the clean water turned dirty from the building debris. The soft bubble of the jets made the once fun bath look like a dirty tar pit.

After a long silence, Alto finally spoke.

“I didn’t feel like I could be angry with you because I’m no better than you," said Alto. “I have a confession.” Nero sat up straighter in the tub and tried to pay more attention, mentally preparing for the worst.

“I’ve been cheating on you before your affair with Rosaline," said Alto. “I, I wasn’t serious about our relationship yet and I-”

“I already knew."

“I don’t understand.”

“Azara told me when she was drunk.”.

“ Oh shit . Is she still alive?”

Nero shrugged.

“I didn’t even like Rosaline," Nero admitted. “I just wanted to get back at you. I was stupid.”

“You cheated on me because I cheated on you. This is so stupid. ”

“I regret it all," mumbled Nero. “At least I have my son.”

Nero turned to empty the tub, and he filled it up again, with cleaner water. They laid back down in the jets, trying to move past the trauma of their day.

“All of this could have been avoided if we just talked to each other," whispered Alto. “We’re stupid.”

“I just don’t understand why you never left me," said Nero.

Alto shook his head and looked up at the ceiling, the white and green bathroom was a nice change of pace compared to the blood-streaked stairwell. He hated Nero because Nero made him weak, and irrational. Everyone told him he was in love, and he tried telling himself too, but he knew that wasn’t the case.

They both knew that it might not be love, but it was the closest thing they understood to be it, and that was enough for the both of them.

“I don’t know anyone else who would want someone like me, a monster,” Alto said.

Nero turned all the way around and hugged him, kissed his cheek, and held him even tighter.

“I think the same thing too. I’m afraid that no one will ever love me the way you do...I think you’re fine just the way you are.”

“I don’t mean how I’m different down there, I meant about the killing," said Alto.

“Oh, the killings? Why are you worried about that? If you think you’re a monster for all the people you’ve killed then what does that make me after the past few days?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Well that makes you Frankenstein’s bride of course," Alto grinned.

His wolfish smile was only warm and inviting to Nero, who never was truly afraid of him because all he saw was another person like him who was broken. Nero made excuses for his own actions, which made it so easier to excuse Alto’s.

They were perfect for each other.

Alto was now elated because now he had to pretend even less that he didn’t enjoy tearing people to bits and pieces, and made a mental note to take his souvenirs, Orcinus’s fingernails, he had stashed away in his pockets, and put them in his box for safekeeping.

Nero giggled and they kissed in the tub, washing each other off and playing with the soap.

Once finally clean, Alto became serious.

“I want you to tell me where you’re going," said Alto. “I had no idea where you were, and you don’t even tell me what you’re doing.” Nero nodded. He didn’t want to argue, he just wanted Alto to stay with him.

“I wouldn’t have found you if that stupid fish wasn’t a fucking show-off and didn’t call me himself! I can’t lose you...Without you, I’m just a lonely, angry man.”

“No you're, you're so strong! I’m just a guy who can’t read and killed like eighty people this week...I’m too dumb to make it on my own…”

“You can’t count either. I’m sure it was more than eighty.”

Nero pretended to be angry, smacked his face gently, but his slight blush gave it away, and Alto laughed. It echoed through the bathroom, relieving both their tension and Nero kept calling him an old man, over and over.

“I don’t want you to be my dad anymore, old man. I want to be able to stand by your side. I already have a dad."

“It's Adonis, right," Alto confirmed.

“Oh, fuck you, you think you’re funny, huh," replied Nero. He sounded angry, but his slight grin gave it away.

“Mm. I would love that," said Alto absentmindedly.

Nero held his face in his hands and kissed him.

And then he kissed him again.

After some time it was way past the point of kissing, and many things were forgiven and washed away in the tub.

Their sounds were only amplified by the bathroom walls. The water began to spill out from the sides of the tub from the movement of their hips, crashing into each other, over and over again, adding to the cacophony of noises and sweat.

Alto cried out, unable to say anything, unable to think straight.

Suddenly, down there got very tight . His legs tensed up, toes curled, body jerked and twitched.

Nero began to slow down, and he let out a few grunts.

Breathing heavy, Nero leaned into Alto and tried to not pass out. He was still tired from the events of the day but didn’t want to pass an opportunity to finally have sex.

Alto felt his body relax and realized there was drool coming out of his mouth, blushed, licked his lips. Nero pulled out and kissed Alto, twisting their tongues together, being greedy, groaning, rubbing each other, their anger and sexual frustration finally released.

After they had gotten their fill of each other, they clung to each other, and Nero laid his head on his shoulder.

“I like it when you tell me what you want," Nero said. “Don’t be shy.”

“Okay," mumbled Alto.

“That was nice," moaned Nero.

“I was so worried. It’s been sixty-nine days, ” Alto whispered.

Nero snickered, and Alto rolled his eyes, covered his face, and sunk lower into the tub. He was happy that some normalcy had returned but didn’t know how long it would last.

“Can I tell you what I want too,” Nero asked.

“Of course, you can ask anything of me right now, and I’m sure I’d say yes.”

“I promise to involve you more… I miss you anyway," he mumbled. “All I could think about is what would happen to you if I died in there." Alto rubbed his back to try and soothe him.

“I hate that we never see each other anymore," continued Nero. “It's all my fault really. I’m a bad dad and husband.”

Alto said nothing.

“You’re not arguing the last part,” asked Nero.

“ I’m listening ," said Alto.

Nero huffed.

“I promise to be a better dad to Amos. I also promise to be there for you, but you have to stop treating me like a kid!”

“Of course," said Alto. “I can’t wash your hair every day." Nero pinched Alto, and he pretended to sulk.

“Just one more thing,” said Nero.

“What?”

Nero’s cheeks turned a deep red. “Can I have my allowance back," asked Nero.

“As long as you don't spend it on things like pills that make your farts smell like chocolate," replied Alto.

“I never-”

“ I read all the bank statements, Nero.”

His silence was the closest to an apology and Nero sulked, scrubbing his arms.

He couldn’t reach his back and Alto scrubbed it for him without being asked. While rinsing off their bodies in their ridiculously large tub, Nero remembered he had something important to do.

“I’m off schedule thanks to that idiot ," said Nero. “I have another person to… help tonight.”

“You mean cook alive, right?”

“Eh, yeah, how’d you know? Come with me!”

Alto was surprised. He never asked Nero to be involved in his venture of revenge. He assumed it was personal, and he wanted to do it all on his own.

He was touched. They could finally become closer, killing and torturing people together, true partners and soulmates.

“I’d love to come," said Alto.

“Didn’t you already?”

A thwock echoed in the bathroom and Nero let out a few giggles, the smack on the back of his head totally worth it.

Alto and Nero held each other again and relaxed in the jets until their fingers began to prune, and the water started to feel cold, and then they decided to take a nap before the night’s task at hand.