Kai Langford - October 2120
"How long are we going to lie here like this?" I ask quietly.
"Five more minutes" Ethan murmurs into my neck.
The word is muffled, half-lost against my skin, but I feel it more than I hear it. His arms tighten slightly around me, like he's anchoring himself there. Like he needs to be sure I'm still real.
He shifts closer, if that's even possible, his face pressed into the space between my neck and shoulder. His breath is warm, slow, brushing against my skin in soft, steady waves.
He hasn't let go since I came back last night.
Every time I move, even slightly, his grip tightens. Not enough to hurt. Just enough to remind me he's there.
I rest my chin lightly against the top of his head, eyes half-lidded as I stare at nothing in particular. For once, my mind isn't racing. It's… quiet.
He does that to me.
I had thought he'd ask questions and demand answers as soon as I walked through the door... He has every right to.
But he didn't. He just held me.
Still… I can feel it in the way he hesitates sometimes. The way his fingers tense for a second before relaxing again.
I can tell he wants to ask, but he's choosing not to.
We stay like that longer than we should, the room slowly brightening around us, until I finally glance towards the clock. It's almost 10am.
I exhale softly. "Shouldn't we get something to eat?"
He doesn't even lift his head and I can feel him shake it against me.
"Don't want to."
There's a quiet stubbornness in his voice that pulls a small, unexpected laugh out of me.
I tighten my arms around him in response, pulling him closer, pressing him into me just enough to make him react.
"Kai-" he starts, a soft protest slipping out, but I don't give him time to finish. Instead I shift my weight and roll us over in one smooth motion.
A sharp breath escapes him as his back hits the mattress, his hands instinctively tightening around me before settling.
"That's not fair" he mutters, a faint pout forming.
I hover over him, bracing myself on one arm, the other still wrapped loosely around him.
For a moment, I just look.
His hair is a mess, falling into his eyes. His lips are slightly parted, his breathing not quite steady yet. There's still sleep clinging to him, softening everything.
But his eyes…
They're focused and clear. Locked onto mine like nothing else exists. They flick down, just for a second, to my lips and then back up again.
My chest tightens in a way I can't ignore.
It happens every time.
I lower myself slowly, until our noses almost touch. I can feel the faint warmth of his breath against my lips now, uneven and shallow.
The space between us feels too small and I can hear his breathing change before I see him move... Then he closes the gap.
The kiss starts soft at first. Like he's testing something fragile. But the second his arms slide up around my neck, his fingers threading into my hair, he pulls me down with more force.
The kiss deepens and any restraint I had disappears.
I respond without thinking, my hand tightening at his waist, holding him firmly against me.
The kiss shifts, deepens, heat building slowly but steadily, like something waking up under the surface.
He leans into it, into me, and I follow, adjusting, pulling him up with me until his back meets the headboard. The dull sound barely registers.
My hand moves to his face, fingers brushing along his jaw, holding him there so he can't pull away even as the kiss grows heavier, more desperate for breath than control.
My other hand grips the rail behind him, knuckles tightening as I press him back just slightly.
The kissing continues until he breaks first. Pulling back just enough to breathe, his chest rising sharply as air finally reaches him.
His breathing is uneven now, each inhale a little too fast, each exhale a little too shaky. His face is flushed, colour spreading across his cheeks, down his neck.
He lets his head fall back against the headboard, eyes half-closed as he tries to steady himself.
I don't move, I just stay right there, close enough to feel the heat coming off him, close enough that if either of us leans in even slightly-
My own breathing isn't steady either. But I don't look away.
He doesn't look away either, even as everything settles and the intensity between us softens into something quieter, something steadier. His gaze lingers on mine with a kind of focus that feels deliberate, as though he's committing every detail to memory.
I can feel it in the way his fingers rest along the side of my neck, not gripping, not holding too tightly, just present. His thumb moves slowly against my skin, a small, absent motion that feels more like reassurance than touch. I don't pull back from him. I let him take his time, let him look, let him settle.
My hand drifts from his hair down to his temple, then along the curve of his cheek, my touch light but steady. His skin is still warm beneath my fingers, still carrying the faint heat from earlier, though the tension has faded into something softer now. His eyes lower slightly as I touch him, and he leans into it without hesitation, like it's instinct rather than choice.
"You always do that" he says quietly, his voice softer than before.
I pause, my thumb still resting against his cheek. "Do what?"
"Look at me like that" he says, his voice easy at first, but there's a flicker of uncertainty, like even he isn't sure how to say what's on his mind.
"Like what?" I ask, leaning closer.
He lets out a soft, almost playful breath that drifts across my lips, the kind of warmth that makes you feel seen without words. For a moment, he hesitates, eyes searching mine, that sunlight in human form flickering just enough to show the shadow beneath.
"Like I matter" he murmurs finally, and it isn't bravado or a joke. There's honesty in it, quiet but bright, the kind that makes the air feel lighter and heavier at the same time.
The simplicity of it settles heavily in my chest, and I don't let it sit there unanswered. "You do" I say, just as simply, without hesitation or doubt.
His eyes flicker for a moment, something deeper surfacing before he looks away briefly, like he can't quite hold the weight of it. I don't let him drift too far. My hand shifts, guiding his face gently back towards me, not forcing, just enough to bring his attention back.
"Ethan" I murmur.
He meets my gaze again, slower this time, more deliberate.
"You don't have to question that, you know I love you" I add, my voice low and steady.
He studies me for a long moment, searching for something unspoken, something beneath the words, before finally nodding. "I know... I just worry" he says, and this time it sounds like he means it, even if he's still holding onto a small piece of doubt.
Instead of pulling away, he leans forward, resting his forehead against mine, closing the distance himself. His hand shifts from my neck to my shoulder, his fingers curling lightly into the fabric of my shirt as if grounding himself there. His breathing brushes softly against my lips, still not entirely steady but calmer than before.
I adjust my hold on him, one arm tightening around his back while my other hand settles at his waist, my thumb moving slowly against his side in a steady, absent rhythm. He exhales as if the tension is leaving him piece by piece.
"Don't ever get hurt again" he says quietly, almost like he's saying it to himself.
"Ethan-"
"I know I know, But I need you to stay safe, will you do that?"
I hesitate.
If it means keeping Ethan and Noah safe, I will do anything.
So instead of promising I nod slightly.
I tilt my head and press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. It's gentle, brief, meant more to reassure than to ignite anything.
He stills at the contact before turning his head just enough to meet my lips properly. This time the kiss is slower, unhurried, carrying warmth rather than urgency. There's familiarity in it, something deeply known, as if we've done this a thousand times and still choose it every time.
My hand slides up his back, fingers spreading between his shoulder blades as I hold him close. He leans into me, closing the space until there's almost nothing left between us.
When we part, it isn't because we have to. It's simply to look at each other again.
A quiet laugh escapes him, soft and a little breathless, his forehead dropping briefly against mine as if he's embarrassed by it.
"What?" I ask, my voice quieter now.
"Nothing," he says, but the curve of his smile doesn't fade. "You just… make it impossible to focus."
A faint breath of amusement leaves me, softer than a laugh.
His hand comes up to my face then, mirroring what I had done earlier, his fingers brushing carefully along my jaw. There's a gentleness in the way he touches me, like he's still aware of how easily things can be lost, like he doesn't want to take any of it for granted.
"You don't have to hold back with me" I tell him quietly.
"I'm not" he replies, just as softly, and there's truth in it.
He shifts closer, tucking himself under my chin, his arms wrapping around me fully this time. It's not a loose hold or something fleeting. It's secure, certain, like he's settled into a place he recognises as his.
I adjust without thinking, one hand moving to the back of his head, fingers threading gently through his hair, while my other arm wraps around his shoulders, holding him there. His ear rests over my chest, directly over my heartbeat, and I feel the moment he notices it again in the way his body goes still for just a second.
His fingers curl slightly into my shirt, and after a moment, he presses a slow, soft kiss through the fabric against my chest, right where his hand had been resting.
My breath catches, just slightly, before I tighten my hold around him in response.
"You do that on purpose?" I murmur, my voice low.
"Maybe..." he replies, the faint hint of a smile in his tone even though his face is still hidden against me.
A quiet breath leaves me, something softer than amusement, and my hand resumes its slow movement through his hair.
Eventually, he tilts his head just enough to look up at me again, his expression lighter now, the earlier tension replaced with something calmer, something safe.
"You know it's definitely been more than five minutes" I say quietly.
He frowns faintly, though there's no real resistance behind it. "I don't care."
My hand slides slowly down his back as I look at him. "You're going to regret not eating."
"Then you'll come with me when I do" he says, as if there was never any other option.
"I was already planning to."
That earns a small, genuine smile from him, one that lingers as he studies my face for another moment before leaning forward to press a soft, brief kiss to my lips.
When he pulls back, he stays close, his forehead brushing lightly against mine again.
"Okay" he murmurs, his voice quieter now. "Maybe we can get food."
"Maybe?" I repeat.
"After another minute."
I shake my head slightly, but I don't argue, because he's already settling back against me, fitting into place like he never left it.
And this time, I let the silence stretch, holding him a little closer, knowing neither of us is in any hurry to move.