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John frowned at him for several seconds (even with the mask his perpetual disgruntlement was almost audible).

“How old do you think I am?” He asked in a tone that made Alessio feel like anything he said next was going to sound stupid. Nevermind, forget that. Everyone here wasn’t his enemy, he was supposed to be trying this ‘nice’ thing to ‘make friends’.

“I don’t know, somewhere in your twenties?” Alessio attempted noncommittally, shrugging a little, and Sir Scary promptly facepalmed. He knew answering his question was a trap!

“Thirties?” He stammered, switching tactics to flattery because it was safer to guess older rather than younger for anyone less than middle-aged.

“I’m nineteen.” John said flatly.

Alessio blinked, visibly reassessing everything he’d assumed about the man. Devils. So he was younger than his older brother but older than him but only by two yea-

“Hey, Alessio!”

Alessio flinched out of his skin, before he glared back at Arsene. You did that on purpose and it’s not funny! Before he could voice his irritation, Arsene was already talking. It took Alessio a moment for his brain to catch up.

“How old do you think I am?” Arsene asked, impishly. His eyes narrowed accusatively at the robber.

“You are a small child.” He said with theatrical gravity. Arsene continued to smirk up at him until he broke. “Sixteen? Seventeen?”

His smirk was widening.

“Try a little older.” Everyone was making fun of him today. Wait, was it ok to annoy them back…?

“Nineteen?” Alessio asked suspiciously, weighing the pros and cons of deliberately returning his sass. That…seemed to be how Arsene showed affection?

“Try forty-five.”

“You’re hilarious.” He said, and stared at him for five whole seconds but Arsene only looked more and more mischievous. Alessio squinted at him. “How are you supposed to be that old? You’re a child!”

Nice wasn’t working but teasing seemed to be an apt substitute? Also, literally how was he supposed to be that old! There is no way possible Alessio will accept that Arsene could be an older bro – friend!

 

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