| fifty shades of ego.

Why did they meet? It was a matter of ego.

Why did they hate each other? It was a matter of ego.

Why did they sleep with each other? It was a matter of ego.

Why did they keep the child? It was a matter of ego.

Why did they start living together? It was a matter of ego.

Why did they end up getting married? It was a matter of ego.

Alora Hemming had been pressing Finn Steele's nerves ever since kindergarten.

It started when they were sent to the posh Silverado Kindergarten, for the 'privileged,' and Finn's fancy colour pens and papers caught Alora's eye. She liked coloring on Disney colouring books a lot! But when her gaze had landed on Finn's pretty papers, all she wished for was tearing them up to make dresses for her dolls.

Though adopted into the Hemming household, she was spoilt to bits by her parents and usually got whatever she would set her pretty green eyes on. And Finn, though born into the Steele household, rarely got a say in anything he was offered.

The coloured pens and papers that circled Finn's small frame, spread over the soft white fur mat on which he and multiple other drooling toddlers were sat on, were gifted to him by his favourite caretaker, Mrs Analeese, whom Finn utterly adored.

So, he was sure that he had made his business highly obvious enough with the gigantic and slanting, 'HAPPY' written in bad cursive, smack-dab in the the middle of a folded page, that he was making a birthday card for Mrs Analeese and anyone with one functioning braincell would know enough to keep a distance.

Though, the line drew at one functioning braincell. Something Finn was quite sure baby Alora didn't possess. Not that she was any better twenty years later.

And being fascinated by the rich yellow and matcha green of the his papers, Alora was overwhelmed by all the ways she could dress up her dolls. So, she had flung her little body into his comfort zone, infiltrated his wall of coloured pen defence, snatched the papers she liked because she was an audacious being, and walked away like she owned the place.

Alora hadn't learnt consent or the concept of possession as of yet. She was only three years into this world.

And Finn hadn't learnt sharing as of yet. He was only four years into this world.

But how dare this little girl steal his coloured papers?!

Call him petty, come what may, Finn was possessive over his stuff. So, what happens when a girl just walks off with a piece of square that was personally gifted by his mother-like-figure? Well, she might as well have called for blood. She might as well would have waged a war. She might as well fight a death battle with him, over it.

But, being four, and born into an influential household, Finn did learn a whole lot about not choosing violence as an option. So, like the raging gentleman he was, he tapped the prancing girl's shoulder and politely requested her attention.

"Hey you," he had greeted very eloquently.

Alora, who was lost in the fantasies of crushing the matcha green paper for a dress and cutting out a crown from the yellow, did not turn until two more pats and one agressive, "LISTEN TO ME," being breathed into her ear.

She flinched and turned, green eyes looking into his brown ones with a curious intensity. She had a chubby smile on her face. "Yes, yes, yes?" She grinned at him, so nonchalantly, as if no one had introduced her to the concept of theft.

Well, Finn might as well be her first step to education.

So, he coughed out, cleared his throat, tied his hands behind his back and began in a matter of factly tone. "Did you know that paper was mine?" He gestured his eyes at the deep yellow and matcha green squares held captive in her fingers.

"Vere they? I like them. They are mine now," she grinned in reply, pushing the papers to show them off in front of his face.

"Hey! It's not like that! It was mine first! And it stays mine! You didn't even ask me!" Finn's minutely composed veil of maturity was slipping away with each word.

Alora had frowned at that. That's not how things had worked for her, till now. Things just don't bEcOmE somebody's just because they were with someone else first. "It's with me now. It's mine," she counterargued, nodding with satisfaction for making a valid enough claim.

"That's because you stole it from me!!" Finn was exasperated now, brown eyes widening and finger pointing rudely at her. He had successfully gained the attention of his fellow drooling peers and the teacher who looked like she could be anywhere but at a kindergarten.

"I didn't stole it! It vas there! I, and, then, took it! You dont even touch it!" Alora was raising her squeaky voice as well, getting grammatically incorrect as her forehead wrinkled and tension rose.

"Ha! You don't even know how to speak! I was about to use it before you swiped it away!" Finn declared smugly, resting his hands on his waist and maintaining a proud stance for using a word he had learnt from Dora the Explorer.

Alora was the real life swiper.

"Bu-but-" Alora was losing words in her three-year-old vocabulary book now. She chose to make illegible noises instead and decided to run and hide behind their teacher. Ms Watson, a tall lady with brown hair, hazel eyes, a colgate smile, a stiff stance and money on her mind.

Finn frowned as Alora clasped Mrs Watson's legs and pointed a rude and accusatory finger at him. "Miss Vatson, he is being a meanie!" She complained with a whine.

"No, Miss Watson, she is the one stealing my papers!" Finn counter-accused Alora with a bright smirk. He knew he had intellectual property rights, even though he didn't know the appropriate term, he was pretty sure of the concept. He would win this.

Until, Miss Watson all but coughed out, "You already have plenty of coloured sheets, Finn darling, you must learn to share. Alora can be a start, right?" She looked at the child clinging to her feet and patted her head. "Though, Alora dearest, it was wrong of you to take his papers without permission. You should have asked him first. Now, I would like you to apologise to him and we can call this even. A lesson learnt by everyone, right?" She chirped, looking beyond the two toddlers involved, but at the bigger picture of many-a-toddlers looking at her with sparkling eyes and understanding nods. She was seeing a salary raise over every head that nodded in awe with her wisdom.

Though, Finn and Alora were both at a loss of words.

Why must Alora apologise when Finn had been nothing but rude to her?! All she had done was take something she liked. What's wrong with that?!

And why must Finn give away the paper when Alora was a literal thief in the making?! Why must he learn to share when Alora could have literally any other papers but those gifted by Mrs Analeese!?

Call them petty egotists, come what may, they were not ready to give in.

And Ms Watson should have seen it coming when Alora hid the papers behind her back and scowled at Finn. She should have seen it coming when Finn took glaring steps toward Alora.

She should not have encouraged them to shake hands and step away from between them.

For when they stood together, Finn pounced at Alora, grabbing hold of the papers. Alora's grip tightened. She grabbed a fistful of Finn's dark hair and pulled it at. Finn tried twisting her wrist but Alora kicked his shin.

And they fell on top of each other, bustling and growling, inspiring other thrill seeking toddlers to join in. Someone pulled Alora's hair, someone grabbed Finn's pants. Someone tore someone's shirt, someone shouted, "GERONIMO!!" on top of their lungs.

And Ms Watson's jaw hung, the salary raise dwindling away with each gesture of thirteen wild, rich, kids grabbing each other's throats. She tried shouting, "STOP IT! RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" but then there was a lego-induced wail seeking sympathy who subdued her vocals.

The security got involved.

The toddlers were manhandled back into the civilized aspects of society. Many came out with inconsequential scratches, bleeding and crying. Many came out with newly obtained treasures of fistful chocolates, caramel mushed with mint and whatnot. Many came out with torn clothes, broken properties and lost glasses. There were distinct winners and losers in the first and probably only battle of power at Silverado Kindergarten.

That's the only name it ever made after being inaugurated as a kindergarten for rich and privileged which was subsequently rejected by the Prince and Princess of Wales for their children.

In the gray area of battle warriors, laid a panting Finn Steele, the heir to a multi-billion dollar electronics and manufacturing corporation, with a huge paper cut on his forehead. Half of the yellow paper and torn bits of matcha green clasped tightly in his, rosy with rage, fists. He panted profusely, staring up at the blinding chandeliers hung on the ceiling. All consequences of his actions slowly seeping in.

He closed his eyes and groaned at his rashness.

And opposite to him laid Alora Hemming, the heir to a multi-billion dollar chain of theatres, agencies and movie productions, with red hand prints on her wrists and strawberry hair all tussled with disrespect. Her tiny rosy hands clasped hold of a bigger piece of yellow and a worn out matcha green paper and she stared up at the ceiling with a maniacal grin.

"I hate you, Alora. I really really really hate you," Finn whispered under his breath, for that was all he could muster with his current state of lungs.

"I like that. It vas fun," was Alora's whispered and straightforward reply.

In that moment, Finn detested her and Alora loved the challenge. He'd be dead after this and she hasn't felt more alive before.

Parents were called, the teacher was blamed, rash students were reprimanded with words but Finn and Alora? They caused their parents a financial deficit to their bank accounts.

The first of their many monetary losses in each other's name.

The onset of Steele Corporation and Hemming Productions' rivalry.

The start of an ego battle.