Uncle

ㅤ Kratos and Raine have always had good relations with each other. Their calm and levelheaded natures harmonized, creating a bond that grew stronger over time. Their relationship grew closer. And this growing rapprochement was masterfully ignored by Genis and Lloyd. So what? Traveling together and solving common problems helped them even endure Zelos… even become friends. So no one paid attention to Kratos and Raine's warm interactions. Until they decided to officially confess to their closest ones: "We've decided to get married," Raine said calmly but enthusiastically. Kratos smiled softly, confirming her words. "Oh, great!" Lloyd was the first to respond, completely oblivious to the horror frozen on his friend's face. "Genis, you heard, we're going to be related now!" Genis slowly turned his head in his direction, as if something was bothering him, his glassy gaze slowly returning to life. Only to pounce in panic on Lloyd, shaking him by the collar and exclaiming: "Nothing's great! That means I'm going to be your uncle, you idiot!" Lloyd managed to think, despite the shaking. He tried hard to process what he'd just heard: the words wouldn't fit together in his head. But when they did…! "No, no, no way!" he turned to Kratos and Raine. "Genis can't be my uncle! I'm older!" "Is that all you care about!?" Genis protested. "I'm supposed to be the uncle!" Lloyd nodded affirmatively. "It doesn't work like that, Lloyd! My sister can't be my mother!" he shouted in the heat of the moment, not realizing he'd accidentally hurt Raine with his words. "Why?" Lloyd asked, surprised. "She's been taking care of you since you were a kid, like a mother…" "Huh? Uh…" Genis couldn't think of a response. "But Kratos still can't be your brother, so you can be my uncle!" "Oh!" Lloyd was horrified, imagining it. But then he thought about it. "Hmm, although…" It was hard for Lloyd to think of Kratos as a father, but if he were his brother… "Don't even think about it!" Genis seemed to peer into his thoughts. "Why don’t you treat each other like brothers?" Raine interjected after the initial heat of the discussion had died down. "Lloyd's right, I’m almost mother to Genis." Genis and Lloyd exchanged glances. They’d been like brothers for a long time. Nothing bad would happen if they became family. "I didn’t think it would be a problem," Kratos said heavily. "After all, I wasn’t involved in Lloyd’s upbringing, and he doesn’t accept me as a father…" "Huh?" Lloyd stuttered, blushing to his ears. Especially when Genis glared at him disapprovingly. "In any case," Raine continued, "nothing will change for you: you'll continue to live as you always have. It's just that Kratos and I will be together." 'It'll change for me…' Genis pouted: a "stranger" would be living in his house. However, that interested him less than the peculiarities of his relationship with his best friend. 'But if it makes my sister happier…' "Well, if nothing changes for us, then so be it!" Lloyd perked up again. "Right, Genis?" "…Y-yes." When the boys left, Kratos and Raine breathed a sigh of relief: everything had ended well. "They resigned themselves to it quicker than we expected." "But they reacted exactly as we predicted." ㅤ