“X, buddy, pal, do me a solid—”
Etho skidded to a halt behind Xisuma, practically leaping to wedge himself behind the admin like Xisuma was a human (dragon?) shield. Xisuma blinked, halfway through examining a datapack bug on his screen.
“I’m gonna regret asking, but what did you do this time?”
“No time!” Etho whispered urgently. “Just look casual. Look boring. You’re good at that.”
“That’s incredibly rude.”
Before Xisuma could turn fully, he spotted Scar and Skizz rounding the corner, Scar shouting, “ETHO! GIVE BACK MY FROG!” and Skizz brandishing a fishing rod like a grappling hook. Etho ducked further behind him.
“Don’t move,” Etho hissed, breath hot against Xisuma’s ear, “If they don’t see me, I don’t exist. Hermit logic.”
Xisuma sighed. “You always say that before something—”
“XISUMA!” Scar beamed, completely ignoring Etho’s guilty eyes peeking over his shoulder. “Hey, you haven’t seen a suspicious ninja-fox-frog-thief around, have you?”
Xisuma opened his mouth to respond, but Etho acted first.
He grabbed Xisuma by the face, tilted his head a little like he was considering angle of effect instead of, y’know, social cues, and planted a kiss square on his mouth.
Scar made a sound like a duck swallowing a kazoo. Skizz yelped and physically turned around. “OH, OH NOPE. Didn’t see nothin’! Let’s give ‘em some space, Scar!”
Scar blinked. “I—oh. OH. Okay! You two have fun doing—uh, admin things! Or—uh—romance things? Skizz, go faster.”
They ran.
Xisuma stood very, very still.
Etho pulled back, smug and pink in the ears. “See? Works every time. Awkward people right into a tactical retreat.”
Xisuma raised an eyebrow. “...You kissed me to avoid confrontation.”
“And because you’re cute when you’re confused. Double win.” Etho smirked and started walking off like nothing happened. “Thanks for the cover, X!”
Xisuma muttered, mostly to himself, “You owe me three frogs and an explanation.”
From the distance: “Nope!”
