Archive of Our Own

“KIM!” North shouted, rushing toward the hospital bed.

They had been on the track practicing for an upcoming race when Kim’s car took a sharp turn. His wheel locked up, and he lost control of the vehicle. The rest of the X-Hunter team watched in horror as Kim’s car flipped onto its side. Thankfully, Babe was out of his own car and pulled Kim out before the vehicle caught fire.

The impact had knocked Kim unconscious. Alan called for an ambulance and once the paramedics arrived, the team had followed closely behind as they rushed to the hospital.

Kim had made it out with a few scrapes on his arms and legs, but the most worrisome thing was a possible concussion. With the way he had passed out, the hospital wanted to keep him overnight to see how he was doing. Everyone let out sighs of relief as the doctor informed them that Kim should make a full recovery soon and could be discharged the next day. It didn’t seem too major. She advised them all to keep a close eye on him for the next few days and to bring him back if he starts experiencing any concerning symptoms or pain.

Despite the doctor’s reassurances, it didn’t stop North and Sonic from spiraling into a panic. Sonic was currently in the corner of the room, tears rolling down his cheeks as he bit his finger to muffle his cries. North gripped the side of the hospital bed, peering into Kim’s face as Kim slowly blinked his eyes open.

“North?” He asked, confused by the worried look in North’s eyes.

“Kim!” North shouted again. This time, wrapping his arms around the man. Kim let out a small oof as he was squeezed by the overly excited beta.

“Are you okay? I thought you died! Dude, you should see your car, it blew up!” He said, making an explosion gesture with his hands, “You’re so lucky Babe got to you in time! Man, I seriously—,” North was cut off from continuing his ramble as Kim looked over North’s shoulder and broke out into a huge smile.

Kenta had walked into the hospital room, standing stiffly behind North. He wasn’t planning on staying long. Just make an appearance, check on Kim out of politeness then say his goodbyes. But he froze in place as he made eye contact with Kim.

Once Kim noticed Kenta, he called out to him, “Baby!”

The whole room fell silent.

Kenta looked around the room searching for who Kim could be talking to, but all eyes were on him.

“Is he talking to Kenta?” Charlie whispered to Jeff who just stared at Kim with his mouth slightly open in surprise.

“Come here, sweetheart.” Kim beckoned Kenta to come closer with a wave of his hand.

Kenta glanced over at Pete on his left, then at Alan to his right, gauging their expressions. Surely this was some sort of prank. A stupid one meant to mess with Kenta. Except everyone else looked just as confused as he felt. Heat rushed to his cheeks as Kim continued to look at him like he held the world. His smile bright and fond as he stared openly at Kenta, waiting for him to walked over to his bed.

Once Kenta was close enough to be within reach, Kim grabbed a hold of Kenta’s arm and slowly trailed his hand down to lace their fingers together in a firm grasp.

Someone behind Kenta gasped. Probably Sonic if the small sniffle that followed was anything to go by.

“Kim, let go of me.” Kenta’s voice was firm yet failing to hide the sudden rush of blood to his face.

“Why?” Kim pouted, “aren’t you worried about your boyfriend?”

“Oh my god!” Another voice screamed as Kenta heard Alan mumble, “Since when were they…?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” He asked ignoring the lump he felt in his throat as he swallowed.

Kim tilted his head like a confused puppy, lopsided grin still on his face. Kenta couldn’t be sure just how much medication Kim must have been given but he could bet it was way too much if Kim was being serious. Either that, or Kenta had some how entered some type of alternate universe. One that contained a very smitten alpha who was currently looking up at Kenta like he hung the stars in the sky.

“Should we give you two some privacy?” Charlie asked innocently. And—bless him—he looked like he could sense the panic that was starting to swirl around in Kenta’s head, but the image of Babe throwing Kenta a knowing smirk from where he stood next to Charlie extinguished any ounce of comfort that Charlie’s question posed.

“You guys can stay,” Kim answered then turned back to Kenta, “as long as you’re by my side, I don’t care who’s here.”

“That’s it. He’s officially lost it,” Alan sighed, but Kenta picked up on the way the alpha’s tone was light. Like he didn’t seem too concerned with this very obvious change in Kim. By the looks of it, after the initial shock wore off, no one else seemed too worried about it either.

Chris cleared his throat from where he stood off to the side. Looking vaguely uncomfortable at being subjected to the intimate moment. “Should we get the doctor or…?”

“It can wait! I need to know more!” North exclaimed. His earlier concerns were quickly replaced with idle curiosity.

“I’ll call for someone to come check on him,” Alan announced, giving an exasperated huff at North’s antics.

Within seconds, nurses were swarming around Kim. Checking vitals, peering into his eyes, making sure everything seemed normal—as normal as possible given the circumstance. While everything went down Kenta hadn’t moved a single muscle. He couldn’t even if he tried. Kim allowed himself to be examined without a fuss, but his hand stayed glued to Kenta’s.

Once the hospital staff left the room, Kim had started drifting in and out of sleep. The first batch of pain medication beginning to kick in. Kenta was relieved that it gave him some time to recover from Kim’s declaration, now that the alpha himself wasn’t in any condition to further profess his open adoration and flirtations with Kenta in front of the whole pack.

However, that meant he was left to deal with their questioning looks alone.

“I don’t know what he was on about, so don’t ask.”

Thankfully, at some point Jeff found a chair and dragged it over for Kenta to sit down on since Kim’s tight grip on his hand persisted even in his sleep. The seat worked as a good shield from everyone’s watchful eyes. With his back turned away from them, he could avoid any unwanted stares. Besides, with his luck, he’d probably make eye contact with someone, and it’d be taken as an invitation to pry for more information.

Hushed whispers and shuffling bodies rang out throughout the room. But Kenta paid them no mind. Instead, his attention was homed in on only one person.

Kim, breathing lightly in his slumber, squeezed Kenta’s hand every so often. Long, calloused fingers twitching against Kenta’s shorter ones. The sensation was a loud reminder of why they were here.

Subconsciously Kenta squeezed back.

By nightfall, the hospital room started to clear out, Alan and Jeff saying their goodbyes and promising to come back in the morning. Dean, North, and Sonic dragged closely behind. Albeit reluctantly, not wanting to leave Kim alone despite the man looking more content than they’ve ever seen him before.

Pete and Chris had left sometime before the sun had set, wishing Kim a speedy recovery before departing.

Which now just left Babe, Charlie, and Kenta with Kim—Kim who was now quietly eating a bowl of congee that Charlie had ordered for him.

“Well,” Babe started, standing up suddenly, “Charlie and I should head out. We’ll leave him with you.”

Kenta blanched at that. He was still trying to wrap his head around the whole idea of Kim believing they were dating. The last thing he needed was everyone else acting like this whole thing was somehow normal. “Are you serious?”

“Deadly.” With a grin, Babe threw his arm around Charlie’s shoulder and pulled the other alpha with him out of the room, leaving Kenta alone with Kim.

The room was silent for a moment, but it did nothing to calm the erratic beat of Kenta’s heart.

“Here, try this.” Kenta looked over at the sound of Kim’s voice. He was holding his spoon up into the air, encouraging Kenta to take a bite of his dinner.

“Eat your food, Kim.” He chastised, but Kim just lifted the utensil higher and nodded his head. Kenta sighed.

This man would be the death of him.

“It’s got plenty of garlic—your favorite.” Kim tried enticing Kenta.

“How do you know it’s my favorite?”

“You’re my boyfriend.” Kim said matter of factly, “of course I would know what you like.”

“Stop saying that.”

“There’s no need to be shy about it, sweetheart. No one’s around.” Kenta had to look away. It was too much for him to handle. Kim’s words, how easily they left his mouth. The look in his eyes, softening around the edges as he stared openly at Kenta. And the way the pet name sounded on his lips, giving Kenta a glimpse into what it would feel like if it were real.

But it wasn’t, he reminded himself. Kim was just confused. He’d wake up the next day and be back to his usual self.

The Kim that Kenta was familiar with didn’t talk to him like that, didn’t look at him like that.

Kenta was used to the Kim who would casually take care of him then laugh it off like it meant nothing.

The Kim, who once walked 5 miles in the middle of the night just because Kenta was out of cigarettes and only one store that sold them was still open. Or when Kim would always come home with extra takeout whenever he noticed Kenta was in a particularly bad mood. Kim, who would do anything to protect the ones he cares about. And most importantly, the Kim who—to Kenta—was nothing more than a roommate that occupied his thoughts on the daily. But that’s all it was, a simmering desire that he kept locked up tight in the safety of his mind.

“My arm’s getting sore,” Kim complained, bringing Kenta’s attention back over to the spoonful he held up to him.

“Fine,” he huffed and bent down to allow Kim to feed him. The congee was warm as Kenta ate. It settled into his stomach, leaving him drained from the stressful day.

Kim—satisfied with himself for getting Kenta to eat—sat back against the pillows behind him, sinking further into their softness. He looked more like he was on vacation than recovering from an accident that was a mere second away from being fatal. His small smile was still plastered on his face, oblivious to the amount of worry he had caused the X-Hunter team to feel.

“Good?”

“It’s tolerable.” He lied, not wanting to give Kim another reason to beam at him. The image of Kim with all his softness and palpable warmth shining through in his eyes was already affecting Kenta’s heart enough as it is. He didn’t need to add fuel to the fire by subjecting himself to anymore of Kim’s smiles.

“I’ll make sure to cook you something better once we’re back home.”

Home.

He couldn’t even find it within himself to correct Kim. Because that was exactly what it had become. Over such a short period of time, Kim’s apartment had morphed into a similitude of safety. The closest thing to home he could name.

Once Kim had emptied his bowl of congee, belly full and eyes barely holding on to wakefulness, Kenta turned the lights off and made his way over to the small couch that was crammed into the corner of the room. He couldn’t find any extra blankets or pillows anywhere, but he had slept in worse places and in even worse positions, so it didn’t phase him.

Unfortunately, to Kenta’s chagrin, Kenta sleeping on a cramped couch was less than acceptable in Kim’s opinion.

“Kenta,” he called out. Kenta ignored him, closing his eyes.

“Kenta,” he tried again, “baby.”

Kenta kept his eyes tightly shut, willing Kim to give up. Sure, he had been worried about the man. Too worried than he liked to admit. But Kim had shown that he was fine, and while Kenta ended up being stuck on Kim duties for the night, he wasn’t his damn babysitter. Whatever the other needed that was so pressing, wasn’t any of Kenta’s business nor his problem.

A few minutes went by of Kim’s voice occasionally calling out to him before the room fell silent, bathing them both in the quiet darkness. Kenta had finally moved into a somewhat comfortable position, letting his body relax and wash away the day’s tension, when Kim’s small voice reached his ears again.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Kenta picked up on the emotion behind Kim’s tone. It immediately made him feel guilty. Turning onto his side he squinted trying to make out Kim’s silhouette, slightly illuminated by the moonlight bleeding in through the window. “What?”

“You’re sleeping all the way over there.”

“So?”

“There’s plenty of room on the bed.”

“I’m not sleeping on the bed, Kim.” There was no way Kim could possibly be upset over where Kenta chose to sleep. It didn’t make sense to him. Plus, whatever Kim argued, the bed was definitely not big enough for both of them to sleep comfortably. He’d rather take his chances with the couch.

“Don’t we normally sleep together?” The sad resignation was back in Kim’s voice.

“Kim—,”

“Please,” Kim spoke, Kenta’s words cutting off at Kim’s plead, “You won’t be able to sleep soundly without a blanket anyway. Don’t try to deny it.”

Kenta stared into the darkness, eyes locked on what he imagined was Kim’s face making a serious yet confident expression knowing that he was right. And that was the thing, Kenta couldn’t even argue with him. He might be able to sleep anywhere, but he always found sleep to come the easiest wrapped tightly around the soft fabric of a blanket or swaddled in a stolen hoodie that he pretended not to notice wasn’t his. Kim must have noticed too at some point. The thought shouldn’t have mattered so much to him, but he found that the revelation was enough to relent, his feet carrying him over to the hospital bed without a second thought.

He slipped under the covers behind Kim, keeping a few inches of space between them.

Blanket up to his chin, Kenta tried letting sleep take him, but the close proximity only exaggerated the nerves coursing through his body. His body wanted to lean into the warmth of Kim in front of him while the rational side of his head kept him rooted in his place.

He pushed the thoughts aside for the moment to shuffle back, trying and failing to put more distance between them. The side rails of the hospital bed digging into his back prevented him from moving any farther away.

“Kim, scoot over,” he said.

“Hm?”

“Move.”

“Just get closer,” Kim said, reaching behind himself to pull Kenta’s arm—wrapping it around his own waist. Kenta froze while Kim just hummed his contentment. “That’s better.”

Kim curled his arm around Kenta’s and pushed his feet back to tangle with Kenta’s legs until they were nothing but a jumbled pile of limbs.

“You’re warm,” Kim stated, “you’re not coming down with something, are you? We should call the doctor in—.”

“Just worry about yourself, Kim.”

Seriously, where Kim was able to find the energy to fret over him in a time like this was beyond him.

“I’m sorry about today. It must have scared you.” Kim whispered.

“It didn’t,” Kenta lied. Because it hadn’t been scary. It was terrifying. Watching from the sidelines as Kim’s car rolled, crashing back down on the gravel. And for a few short minutes that dragged out like thick syrup, Kim’s body had been lying limply inside the interior, his condition still unknown from where Kenta stood on the other side of the track.

Kenta’s fingers tightened without realizing it. His body telling him to protect the man next to him.

“I’m here now. Nothing’s going to take me away from you.”

The words felt cruel as the reached Kenta’s ears. How many times had he felt the distance between them and hoped for the closeness that Kim was now promising him?

“You’re so cheesy,” he mumbled.

“It’s called being sincere.”

“Whatever.” The tired defeat came through as Kenta grumbled. His body slightly melted against Kim, releasing some of the strain he had been carrying all day.

“Sleep, sweetheart. You’ve earned it.”

And with that, Kenta found himself surrendering to the exhaustion that tugged at him, lulled by Kim’s gentle voice and grounding presence.

The next morning, Kenta was abruptly woken up by the sound of North barreling into the room. “We come barring gifts!”

North tripped and caught himself on a small table, just shy of breaking the flower vase he was holding—birds of paradise mixed in with baby’s breath. He set them down next to two other vases that contained a vast assortment of daisies and tulips.

As Kenta moved to sit up, he noticed Kim was already awake, and by the looks of it, he had been for awhile.

“Thanks, guys,” Kim said cracking a smile, “the flowers are a bit overboard though. I’m not dying.”

“They’re bright and fiery,” North proclaimed, “just like you,” he ended with a small laugh.

“Or like his car that went up in flames.”

“Babe!” Sonic screeched, appalled by his comment.

Kenta startled, not having noticed Babe reclining back on the couch.

He winked at Kenta as their eyes met.

“How long have you been here?”

“Long enough.”

Kenta ignored what that could mean to look back over at Kim. The man was already staring at him, his soft eyes boring into Kenta’s own. If anyone that didn’t know them were to walk in right now, it would look like Kenta was the patient instead of Kim, from the way Kim was accessing him. Like he was searching for any sign of distress or worry in Kenta’s expression.

“I can’t believe you two were dating this whole time!” North said suddenly, watching as Kenta and Kim quickly looked away from each other at his exclamation. Kenta’s cheeks wore a rosy tint as he glared at North.

“We’re not together.”

North either didn’t hear Kenta or he just didn’t believe him because he continued on, “Does this mean that you two will share a room from now on at Alan’s? I call dibs on Kim’s old room!”

Though it was rarely necessary, everyone from the X-Hunter team—and by extension, Kenta, Pete, and Chris—had their own room at Alan’s. In cases where they needed to discuss next steps in taking down Tony or if they all needed to lie low for awhile, it made things easier if they could be in one place at once. Kim’s designated bedroom just happened to be the one closest to the kitchen, making it the subject of envy for the night owls of the group.

“You keep your hands off my room, North.”

“Fine, I’ll settle for Kenta’s room. It’s bigger anyway.”

“Why do you even want a new room? Yours has an en-suite,” Babe asked.

“Yeah, but it also shares a wall with you and Charlie.” That was all everyone needed to hear for them to all immediately groan—or grimace if your Kenta—in understanding. Babe, however, just smiled proudly. Unbothered by North’s misfortune.

“Do I have a say in this?” Kenta snapped, voice still gruff from waking up.

“Have a say in what?” Jeff asked as he entered the room. He walked in holding yet another bouquet of flowers, lilies this time. Which was great. If anyone else came in with more flowers, they could open their own floral shop.

“They’re fighting over rooms now that Kim and Kenta are a couple,” Sonic spoke up, filling Jeff in.

“For fuck’s sake, we’re not dating!”

The chatter around the room quieted down into an awkward silence, causing Kenta to look away, embarrassed at his outburst.

The tense atmosphere lingered. It was suffocating like held breath. The feeling spread from his chest and radiated down to the tips of his fingers, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake.

“Fine, think whatever you want.” He abruptly stood. Ignoring the call of his name, he walked out into the hallway in search for caffeine or just anything really to distract him. There was a small coffee station down the hall that was promising enough he supposed. As he downed a cup—lukewarm and overly bitter—his fingers shook. But not from the mediocre coffee settling in his gut.

Glancing at his watch, the time told him it would be another few hours before Kim was scheduled to be discharged. He walked idly down the hall for as long as he could. Letting the minutes pass with no particular destination in mind. He just needed to clear his head. He knew once the time to leave arrived that there would be no escaping the inevitable. That he would end up back home in Kim’s apartment with the very man himself.

Just the two of them.

Alone again.

Maybe no one would notice if he escaped out the back wing of the hospital. He discarded the idea before it became too tempting, knowing it would only cause more problems and questions he couldn’t bring himself to answer.

With a shaky exhale, he made his way back over to the coffee station. His nerves might be running rampant for reasons he’d rather drown out right now, but no one else needed to know that. For all anyone would assume was that he had too much caffeine in his system. And if he tried desperately convincing himself that that was all it was too—too much coffee, not enough sleep—then so be it. It beat confronting the reality that awaited him in that damn hospital room.

By mid-afternoon, Kim was discharged and advised to stay off the racetrack for the next few weeks while he recovers. He grumbled a bit but didn’t protest when Alan mentioned he’d be on paid leave.

There was a slight limp behind the way he walked which caused Kenta’s gaze to drift back to him more often than it should have, checking to make sure Kim was still behind him. That he was still in one piece and not on the verge of breaking. He mentally cursed at himself for caring so much. Kim was fine. Had said so himself, which should be enough to relieve his concerns but now that they were alone in Kim’s car—Kenta behind the wheel—he found himself holding his breath at the expression Kim wore.

Kim was looking at him carefully. His brows were scrunched up in thought. Like he was trying to solve a puzzle that came in the form of one Kenta-shaped mystery.

“What?” Kenta asked, pulling out of the parking garage.

“When you were outside, the doctor advised me to take it easy.”

“I know. I heard her.”

“And for my boyfriend to take care of me.”

“She did not say that, Kim.”

“I swear on my life.” He placed a hand over his heart and gave Kenta the most serious face he could muster, but Kenta caught the glint behind his eye. Playful and teasing. Daring Kenta to rebuttal.

“Well then, it’s too bad you don’t have one. Looks like you’re stuck with me instead.”

“You’re funny.” Kim rolled his eyes, smiling now.

Despite it being at his own expense, some of Kenta’s nerves lessened after seeing Kim like this.

Like most days, the weather was warm. Humidity clung to the air. With the windows down, speeding down the roads of Bangkok, the sun bore down on Kim’s face. Highlighting the faint freckles painted across his cheeks and nose.

Walking through the front door of the apartment felt more welcoming than he expected. The smell of vanilla and something else that was undeniably Kim hit Kenta as he toed off his shoes. The mingling scents felt like home. It had only been a day since either of them were here, yet the familiarity of it all caused a warmth to spread throughout Kenta.

He had barely even made it into the kitchen before he felt gentle hands wrap around his waist from behind him.

“Kim,” he warned. He peeled Kim’s arms off of himself before turning to face him. That small, confused expression was back on Kim’s face, blinking up at Kenta.

“Is this some sort of roleplay thing?” Kim asked.

What the hell.

It was now Kenta’s turn to blink at him. Dumbfounded at the question. “What are you talking about?”

“Pretending we’re not together,” Kim explained, “because I’m not opposed to the idea. I just didn’t take you for the type to be in to that kind of stuff.”

“Kim—,”

“Yes, baby?” He asked, “or shit—what should I call you? Khun Kenta?”

“Don’t call me anything.”

“Ooo, a mysterious stranger without a name, got it.”

“Kim, I swear—,” he cut himself off to run a hand down his face. He doesn’t know if he’ll be able to handle this side of Kim for much longer. Kim was acting like himself but times one thousand. His flirty cadence turned up a notch. It was both annoying and irrevocably effective. “I’m done dealing with you.”

After setting down Kim’s litany of bouquets in the kitchen, Kenta dragged his feet over towards the couch, plopping down with a small grunt. He avoided Kim’s eyes as the alpha followed him not even a second later, sitting way too close for Kenta’s liking.

“Fine, let’s watch a movie then.” Kim reached for the tv remote and pressed the power button before Kenta could protest.

“Please, just not another drama.” The memory of Kenta walking into the living room last week to the sight of Kim curled up on the couch and fighting back tears as some western movie played on the screen came back to him. Kenta had ignored him as he walked past, slipping out onto the balcony for a smoke. When he came back inside, Kim looked even more pitiful than before. Kenta had silently come closer, sitting on the far side of the couch. When the movie had finally ended, he grabbed the remote that lay between them on the cushion and changed it to something lighter. He had avoided Kim’s stare but from the calming scent coming from Kim, he relaxed into the couch. Kenta’s companionship and silent solace immediately had boosted Kim’s mood.

“I’m not emotionally ready for that right now anyway,” Kim announced before perking up, “how about a horror film?”

“Yeah, because that’s any better,” Kenta scoffed.

“I’m not hearing a no.” Kim browsed through movie after movie until he found one that sounded entertaining enough and clicked play.

The main character had barely even been introduced before Kenta found Kim’s warm hand reaching out for his own. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to watch the movie. What are you doing?”

Kenta clicked his tongue and crossed his arms over his chest, effectively pushing Kim’s hand off of him. Kim’s scent spiked. Hurt from rejection. His usual sandalwood turning slightly musty. It was subtle, barely there if you weren’t looking for it. Which Kenta unintentionally was doing, he realized. He waited for the smell to die down completely before focusing back on the movie. But it didn’t last long.

Despite the multiple cups of coffee he downed at the hospital, Kenta’s eyes became heavy as the film progressed. Nothing thrilling had happened yet. No jump scares, no gore nor death. The sounds of foreign dialogue and Kim’s soft breathing beside him became muffled as he drifted further.

A few minutes passed before Kenta flinched fully awake again. But it wasn’t the movie that had spooked him. It was the heavy throw blanket that now rested over his chest, tucked all the way up to his shoulders. Kim at least had the decency to look apologetic this time as he realized he had woken Kenta.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Kim said, patting the soft fleece covering Kenta’s arm.

The ghost of Kim’s touch lingered as Kenta tried focusing back on the movie, grateful for the slight distraction. It gave him an excuse to look away from Kim’s gaze. Those dark brown eyes full of emotion and words unspoken, blinked at him before settling back into his side of the couch. Kenta didn’t know if he envied Kim for how easy the alpha showed his feelings—even through small gestures like this—or if he was relieved at his own ability to hide behind a blank look.

A part of him wanted to share those sides of himself with Kim. To open and bare everything out on the table. Like ripping off a bandaid. Quick and clean. But he had never been great with words. And unlike Kim, he couldn’t convey how he was feeling through his facial expressions.

Despite Kenta being the one startled awake, Kim appeared more disheveled. He could pick up on fear coming off of Kim. The alpha clearly unsettled by the film.

Unconsciously, Kenta leaned into the only way he knew how to care for others—through his actions. Scooting closer towards Kim, he moved inch by inch until they were a hair’s breadth apart. With the blanket gripped in one sweaty palm, Kenta lifted one edge and draped it over Kim, silently inviting him under the soft warmth.

Kim didn’t hesitate before closing what little distance between them remained, successfully pressing his side against Kenta’s. Sandalwood drenched the room, rich and smooth. It smelled expensive and graceful. It drowned out the fear that still clung to Kim’s scent.

As he focused back on the movie, he realized more time had passed while he was asleep than he had thought; the injured protagonist trying their best to run away from the axe murderer was a strong indicator. To Kenta, the SFX came across as more comical than realistic. The blood wasn’t the right shade of crimson to look believable enough, resembling tomato sauce more than anything else.

Hell, he and Kim both had endured worse than this in real life, survived more intense situations. Though that didn’t seem to register for Kim. That, or the hospital meds were making the scenes appear scarier than they actually were.

“Thank you, love,” Kim whispered from where he was curled up next to Kenta.

“I’m not doing anything,” Kenta insisted.

“You’re doing plenty.” When Kim’s palm slid to rest on top of Kenta’s hand again, Kenta ignored it. Allowing the alpha to stay there. If his own scent spiked at the mutual comfort Kim’s closeness provided, he ignored that too.

If last night was anything to go off of, Kenta had known that by the time night rolled around again, Kim would expect him to follow him to bed. So, with that and the sight of Kim still buzzing with barely contained nerves and anxious energy, he didn’t find much fight left in himself to refuse.

After cleaning up the kitchen and grabbing a glass of water, he made his way down the hallway towards Kim’s bedroom. The alpha was already there when he opened the door. Tucked into the safety of his duvet cover, Kim was fully engulfed in the soft linen—all except his head that stuck out from the blankets. His face was turned towards Kenta; a small smile adorned his face.

This time as Kenta took him all in, he didn’t miss the bashful way Kim looked at him. His eyes shifting away then back again several times as if he wasn’t sure what he should look at. It was funny to see Kim act shy.

“Here,” Kenta said. He presented Kim with two small pills—pain killers that the doctor had prescribed. After Kim took them, he handed over the glass of water for Kim to chase them down with.

“Thanks.”

As Kim took his medicine, Kenta rounded the bed. He stood there for what felt like an eternity, but what was probably no more than a few seconds. Battling with himself with what to do. He could still back down, tell Kim he’ll be in his own room if he needed him. But one glance over at the small alpha, and Kenta knew he wouldn’t be able to leave the man alone.

The sheets were cold as he climbed under them. With an outstretched hand, he switched off the lamp on the nightstand, bathing them in darkness.

Kim was unusually quiet. Which Kenta understood. The man had just been through a traumatic accident, was experiencing some type of brain injury—if this whole boyfriend status was any indicator—and was now trying to act like he wasn’t scared shitless from the movie they just watched. So, it was a reasonable response. But it still unsettled Kenta, nonetheless. Not putting much thought into it, Kenta did something out of character for the nth time that day. He decided to break the silence.

“Are you okay?”

Apparently, Kenta’s question was an invitation to scoot closer into his personal space. Crossing the unspoken barrier between them, Kim moved until he was lying between the middle of the mattress and Kenta’s side of the bed.

“Tell me a story.”

“A story?”

“Maybe it can take my mind off the movie.”

Kenta could relate to that sentiment. The need to avoid feeling every emotion that felt too big and terrifying to address in the moment. It was easier to push everything down, and it had been working well for him for most of the day. That was until they had gotten home. With just the two of them here, surrounded by their equally strong scents, it was a struggle not to completely surrender to the voice inside his head telling him to take care of Kim.

So, if a distraction would help Kim, Kenta would put aside his own need to act indifferent for once. But he still allowed himself to ignore the quiet self satisfaction he felt bubbling to the surface as his voice seemed to immediately soothe Kim’s nerves.

“I’ll tell you a story, but you tell me one too. A story for a story.”

“Okay,” Kim agreed, shuffling even closer. Kenta hated that he found himself preening at the excitement in Kim’s voice. It was too easy to amuse Kim. Which he assumed was a blessing. It was his goal, after all. He fought back the smile that threatened to spread across his face.

“Sometimes, whenever I can’t sleep, I’ll pull up North and Sonic’s YouTube channel. Their videos work as good background noise.” Kenta left out the part about how his most watched videos always featured Kim. In one particular clip, North shoved the camera in Kim’s face right after the alpha had finished a lap around the racetrack. With his helmet removed, a bead of sweat could be seen trailing down the side of his face. Kenta replayed that video more times than he would ever admit out loud.

“That’s a fact, not a story.”

“I’m getting to it,” he huffed. If Kim had time to correct him, he must be feeling a bit better. But Kenta just continued where he left off. “Their vlogs remind me of the kids at the Foundation.”

He felt Kim still underneath his hand. Which made his brain sputter for half a second. He didn’t know at what point his arm had wrapped itself around Kim’s waist, but with how close Kim was leaning into him, there wasn’t anywhere else for it to go, he justified.

“I must have been around fourteen at the time. I found a camcorder in this old box of random junk, but the thing surprisingly still worked. When I turned it on, it had a few videos already recorded on it. Small clips that one of the other boys must have left behind. So, for the next week I recorded my own videos—going through my morning routine, giving a room tour, secretly recording Pete when he scolded me for sneaking into the kitchen late at night, even filming the small moments that I was allowed to play outside, despite the risk. Then after I put the camera back in the box, I came back the next week and there were new videos of the boy doing the same thing. Gun was his name. We exchanged videos of our days like that for what felt like months.”

“What happened to him?” Kenta could tell Kim was treading lightly, voice gentle and patient. He appreciated the consideration that Kim could exhibit even through something like this.

“Eventually, Pete confiscated the camera. Which was the best-case scenario, honestly. He didn’t want either of us to get caught. So, he acted as a middleman instead. Passing messages back and forth between me and Gun.”

He didn’t blame Pete for it. If anything, it allowed Pete to see just how isolated Kenta had felt as a child without having to put it into words. The compromise was more than he was expecting, so he accepted it for what it was.

“Last I heard of Gun, he was sent to live abroad. Somewhere safe and away from this whole mess, according to Pete.” Kenta felt Kim’s body relax.

“Was he a special Alpha?”

“No. His parents were both enigmas though. Tony adopted him hoping that he would be an enigma too, but he’s a beta like North. Thankfully, that took the target off his back since Tony didn’t have any use for him.”

Kim hummed, the feeling vibrating against Kenta’s skin where Kim’s lips brushed his sternum.

“It must have been tough being raised in a place like that. It’s nice knowing that you at least had a friend during your time there.” The sad connotation and need to comfort bled through in Kim’s words.

The last thing Kenta wanted was Kim’s pity. Sure, growing up at the Foundation was a fate that he wouldn’t wish upon anyone, but it was all he had known. He was used to his days spent alone and even more so the lonely nights that stretched out like melted wax. It wasn’t ideal. It was familiar. And where there’s familiarity, there’s safety. At least that was what Kenta had come to believe.

The need to snap something defensive—to argue that he turned out just fine—crawled its way up his throat and stuck there. Instead, he swallowed it down, choosing to focus on Kim instead. “Okay, it’s your turn, Kim.” He reminded Kim of their deal.

“I don’t know what to talk about.”

“Then you’re clearly fine enough now to go to sleep,” Kenta stated, trying to shove Kim back over to his side of the bed.

“Wait, wait! Let me think,” Kim rebutted, effectively staying wrapped around Kenta.

“You’ve got ten seconds.”

“I can talk about anything?”

“Anything,” Kenta said. He was hesitant to agree, not sure what Kim would say, but he was curious as to why Kim would ask.

“Have you noticed the bowl I leave out on the balcony?”

Kenta knew immediately what Kim was referring to. The small blue bowl was hard to miss. Especially since Kenta practically spent more time out there than he did inside the apartment. It was always empty though, so Kenta never paid too much attention to it let alone bothered enough to find out its purpose for being there.

“Yes.”

“During my first week in this apartment, I kept hearing this ‘tap tap tap’ on the balcony door. At first, I thought it was gecko or maybe even a bird pecking at the glass. But every time I went to see what it could be, nothing was there. It felt like I was losing my mind. Then the next week, I finally caught the culprit.” Kim paused for dramatic effect, but it just caused Kenta to push at his shoulder, annoyed at Kim’s attempt to drag out the suspense.

“Well?” Kenta pressed.

“It was a black kitten—no collar, no owner. Though he’s grown now. Probably a bit too grown with how much canned tuna he scarfs down, but I guess that’s my fault. Anyway, I leave water out for him in that bowl, so he has enough to drink when I’m not home.”

The admission suited Kim. His kindness seemed to bleed into everything he did. Taking care of anyone within his vicinity.

“Did you give him a name?”

“Kenta”

“What?”

“No, that’s his name.”

“You have to be fucking joking.” When Kim didn’t speak up, he glared even though Kim couldn’t see it. “Kim.”

Kenta thought back to how long Kim has lived here. It’s already been a few months since he moved in with Kim. So, on top of that, it was hard to wrap his mind around how much time has passed by since Kim first named this cat after him.

“You didn’t seriously name that cat after me.”

“I did.”

“Why would you even…” Kenta mumbled more to himself, but Kim responded all the same.

“He has your eyes. Sharp yet kind. I can’t help but feed him anytime he looks at me.”

Kenta definitely wasn’t jealous. It’d be ridiculous to feel any resentment at the random stray. Yet the image of Kim pampering a cat—that was named after him no less—had him turning over to face away from the alpha. He’d never gotten upset at seeing Kim look after the X-Hunter team before. There was no reason to. It was in Kim’s nature to look out for the others with no hidden agenda. They were pack. Something Kenta wished he felt more inclined to be a part of too. So, why the thought of an animal he’d never even seen before made him feel like he was competing for Kim’s affection was beyond him.

“If it’s any consolation,” Kim started, “you’re cuter…plus you don’t scratch.”

“I don’t care.”

“Uh huh, sure, baby.”

Kenta felt Kim’s chin come to rest between his shoulder blades. A shiver ran up his back, but he didn’t move away. The pressure was oddly comforting, reminding him that Kim was still close.

“You’re my favorite Kenta.” Kim mumbled, voice draining, “Nothing can change that.”

Sleep didn’t come easily to Kenta. His caffeine intake and midday nap aiding in that fact. But unlike most nights, his mind didn’t wonder. He didn’t get stuck ruminating on the bad or of the chaotic events that the past 48 hours had brought.

Instead, Kenta focused on the sound of Kim’s breathing evening out before it slowed down to a deep rhythm. Despite it all, as Kenta stared off into the darkness—watching the minutes tick by on the alarm clock near the bed—, he had no intention of leaving.

As Kenta stirred awake, his heart constricted at the first sight that greeted him. Tucked into the curve of his neck was Kim, breathing lightly—his left arm and leg swung over Kenta’s body, keeping him close like Kenta might disappear if he let go for even a second.

Guilt crawled its way up Kenta’s throat. To Kim, this was their normal. But in reality, only Kenta knew the truth. They were just roommates, cohabitating for the short time that Pete had appointed Kenta under Kim’s care. Just like on the couch yesterday and last night, it felt wrong to allow himself this kind of intimacy with Kim. At least then, he had the excuse of comforting the scared alpha. He was just being a polite roommate, friendly. But this was too much. Kenta couldn’t help the way the whole situation felt too real.

And that terrified him.

He could handle the playful banter, the quick wit and how Kim always had a rebuttal to Kenta’s sharp tongue. The flirtatious connotation behind Kim’s words were even easy to endure with a straight face. Kenta became a master of hiding the warmth that bloomed in his chest whenever Kim spoke his mind too much—when he was a little too honest with Kenta.

But now, Kim was looking at him like there was substance behind each word he spoke. Whispers mumbled against his skin, praises he wasn’t sure he deserved. It held a weight that Kenta wasn’t sure if he could handle without drowning in it. Too afraid that if he let it consume him, there was no going back. And what did that mean for them once Kim realized the truth?

Kim was just confused. His behavior only encouraged by blunt force trauma. When he realizes how he’s been acting, he’ll go back to normal. And Kenta would follow his lead. Which meant he couldn’t get too comfortable with the Kim in front of him. The Kim wrapped around him, blinking up at him with a glimmer in his eyes that Kenta’s never noticed before now.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Kim spoke, pressing a light kiss to Kenta’s cheek.

Kenta flinched backwards as if the touch had burned him. “Don’t, Kim.”

“You’re still playing this game?” Kim laughed, “Okay, well—dear roommate of mine—I think I’ll go put a pot of coffee on.” He stood and made his way into the kitchen. Minutes later—when the smell of fresh coffee became too enticing—Kenta joined him.

Kenta stood there at the counter, carefully watching Kim like he always did. Except this time, when Kim met his gaze, he didn’t look away. “Let me ask you something.”

“Shoot.”

“If we’re actually in a relationship, then how did we get together?”

Kim’s eyes went wide, eyebrows raising before he answered, “You obviously asked me out.”

“Why would I be the one to ask you out?” Kenta said with disdain, like the very thought was beneath him.

“Wow, Kenta.” Kim rolled his eyes. “Fine, I probably asked you out. But you said yes in the end, so it doesn’t really matter how it happened. What’s important is that we’re together now.”

“You don’t remember, do you?”

Kim’s eyebrows pinched together in deep thought. “The memory’s blurry.”

“That’s because it’s not real.” The words stung as they left his own mouth. God, did Kenta want more than anything for this to be real.

“Are you saying what we have isn’t real? That you don’t feel it too?”

“Feel what, Kim?”

“You know what I’m referring to, Kenta.”

Hearing his first name shouldn’t have affected him, but it did. No pet name or sweetness behind Kim’s tone. It wasn’t spoken with the softness that Kenta craved to lean into. It was just his name, said plain and simple. The sound left an uncomfortable itch in Kenta’s very being.

“Kenta, look at me.”

Kim’s voice was closer than before. Kenta hadn’t even realized he had inevitably turned away from Kim until he lifted his head to face him again.

Kenta caught the worry and fear on Kim’s face, yet he didn’t smell it on him. Instead, Kim’s scent was permeating the room with a calming aroma, trying to soothe Kenta despite how the alpha was currently feeling.

The realization hit harder than expected. Even now, Kim was protecting Kenta. Putting Kenta first before himself. Kenta felt a tear fall, wetting his face in its wake.

Kim hesitantly placed his hands on Kenta’s shoulders. His fingers inched their way closer to the scent gland on Kenta’s neck. With a thumb brushing lightly against it, Kenta relaxed into the touch.

Kenta’s lips parted. A small huff of air escaped. He didn’t move away as Kim shuffled closer. Soft lips brushed against the corner of his mouth, hesitant. Testing. The touch was light and gentle, but it held substance behind it; one that pressed heavily on Kenta’s heart. He turned his face into the warmth of those lips, seeking more.

Kim let him guide them, keeping it slow as he responded to Kenta’s mouth moving against his. His hands continued to rub his nape, reminding Kenta of his caring presence.

When Kenta pulled back to breath he didn’t move too far. Resting his forehead against Kim’s, he stayed like that, basking in the moment before Kim’s words caused everything to crash down around him.

“I know weren’t not dating, Kenta.”

He leaned back to look Kim in the eyes. He was expecting to see Kim’s usual playful smile. Anything to indicate that he was joking. That he was just messing around to get a reaction out of Kenta. But Kim’s face showed no sign that he was teasing.

“What?” Kenta whispered, voice catching with emotion, “This whole time, you—,”

“At first, I didn’t know—when I woke up in the hospital. The meds they gave me must have been pretty strong, I guess,” he laughed, “When I first called you sweetheart, it just slipped out. I wanted to tell you the truth once I was more lucid, but I could smell it on you, Kenta. Every time I called you my boyfriend, your scent would sweeten. I’ve assumed—I’ve hoped—that you felt the same way I do. So, I—even if it was just for a little while—I didn’t want to lose the chance to be close to you like this.”

Kenta took a step back. “You lied to me.”

“I did. I’m sorry. And you can hate me for that, but you’ve been lying to yourself too, Kenta.”

Kenta’s frown deepened.

“I know you try to hide how you feel, but you don’t have to when you’re with me.” Kim took a step forward. He reached for Kenta’s hands and smiled as Kenta didn’t push him away. “Yesterday morning, I’d never seen you so,” he searched for the right word, “content.”

“The whole room smelled like sweet cream and brown sugar. Then when you woke up and looked over at me—fuck—your scent was so strong I wanted to scream.”

“I always smell like that.” When Kenta had first presented, everyone always commented on how powerful his scent was. He knew that even for an omega, he had a particularly sweeter scent than others. He was also aware of the stereotypes about how the sweeter an omega was, the more obedient and submissive they must be. Yet, he had proven himself time and time again that he was the farthest thing from that sentiment. So, it wasn’t something he thought about often or bothered to dwell too much on.

“No, sweetheart, you don’t.” Kim stated. His words were fond as he spoke. “Ever since I met you, I’ve always smelled spoiled milk lingering on your skin. But after you moved in with me, it started to mellow out—quite a bit, actually.”

Kenta hadn’t even been aware of that, but he still felt a flush creep up his neck as if he had been caught red-handed. It was like stripping back a layer of himself that he wasn’t expecting to expose to the alpha. Accepting how effortlessly Kim was able to soften Kenta’s sharp edges was hard enough to come to terms with. Let alone, admit to himself that Kim was apparently more perceptive than he gave him credit for.

He wanted to be mad at Kim. To pull away like he normally does. To shield himself away from the possibility of getting hurt. But the bigger part of his brain reminded him that this was Kim. Kim who never did things by the book. Who put his all into everything he does, always going against the norm. The extremities of his actions always had a purpose. And more often than not, the reason behind his behaviors centered around Kenta. And Kenta knew Kim would always put Kenta’s wellbeing before his own.

So, he took a step forward instead.

“And what do I smell like to you right now?” He risked asking, leaning into Kim’s space. He stood so closely that Kim had to blink up at him, chin raised to meet his eyes.

“So good, Kenta, you smell like home.”

There it was again. His name. It was spoken more softly this time, no sternness dripping through, yet it wasn’t what he was expecting. God, it should be illegal to be this far gone for someone else.

Kim picked up on the battle going on in Kenta’s mind. “What’s wrong? Your scent changed.”

“It’s nothing.” He’d rather die than admit what he was wanting to hear from Kim.

“You can tell me, baby.”

Unfortunately for Kenta, and much to Kim’s delight, his body betrayed him. Giving away how he felt as his scent spiked again, but with an overpoweringly sweet fragrance.

The smell that Kim had come to love made a huge grin blossom across his face. Now understanding the explanation for why Kenta’s mood was affected so strongly by his words, he wrapped his arms around Kenta’s waist and brushed his lips against Kenta’s ear. “Have I spoiled you that much already, sweetheart?”

“Shut up.”

“I take it you’re not upset with me?”

“I will be if you keep talking.” He tried scowling but Kim’s open smile was contagious. There was a lightness on his shoulders as he matched Kim’s expression. Making this whole fake relationship ordeal become a reality didn’t feel so distant anymore. It felt tangible. It would be new and with that came the fear of fucking everything up. But with the promise of Kim by his side, ready to care for Kenta and remind him of his worth, and willing to have Kenta care for him in equal turn, maybe his worries would subside just enough to allow him to give into his wants for once in his life.

And with that, Kenta closed the distance yet again. As their lips met, there were no hidden uncertainties—just pure determination and mutual trust as Kenta’s mouth moved against Kim’s. Kenta opened up easily at the press of Kim’s tongue on his bottom lip. Kim tasted of coffee and unbridled enthusiasm. Kenta melted into the kiss. Surrendering to what he truly felt for the man in front of him.

He let Kim’s scent wrap around them both. It battled against his own and gently held space for Kenta’s caramel sweetness to blend with Kim’s sharp notes of sandalwood.

As they separated for air and looked at each other, they didn’t need words to express the moment. It could be felt all around them. But as Kim wrapped his arms around Kenta’s neck, drawing him in closer, Kim couldn’t help but whisper endearments against his skin, letting Kenta know just how much he was wanted in turn.

It was a sentiment that Kim vowed to always convey. And if it took forever for Kenta to believe them, Kim would repeat them a thousand times over. Because as long as he had Kenta by his side, everything would turn out just fine.