Kai Langford- July 2120
I sit on the edge of the bed, still staring at the spot where the burnt mark had been. I can't believe it left no trace, no damage at all.
Ethan is rifling through his clothes again, his hands moving quickly over the neatly folded stack.
"Sorry about the top" I mutter, glancing at him.
He waves a hand without looking up. "Oh, don't worry. I've got plenty. Although-" He finally looks at me, and the way he does makes something flutter in my stomach. "…not many that would fit your… build."
He turns back to the clothes, and I try not to linger too much on that look. Somehow, it still makes my heart beat faster.
"Ah, here!" he calls cheerfully, tossing a top my way. I catch it quickly, tug it on, and hand him the old one.
"Sophie's power is pretty cool, huh?" he says, smiling like nothing happened.
"Yeah… it's pretty useful," I reply, trying not to sound too GeneX about it, though I can't help it.
Suddenly Ethan flops onto the bed, lying flat on his front. I can't see his face, and I can't help glancing at him.
"So…" he hesitates. "What was with the hand holding?"
My stomach twists. I thought I'd let go fast enough. I hadn't expected him to notice.
"Erm… well…" I scratch the back of my neck, feeling guilty for no reason I can explain.
"She just… got upset, and held my hand…" I trail off. I don't know how much I should say. It wasn't that I don't trust him, it's just… it felt private, vulnerable.
Ethan doesn't look at me. I shift on the bed, nerves prickling. Did I do something wrong? Was he annoyed?
He sighs, drops his head further into the pillow, and pats the bed beside him.
It takes me a second to understand, then I realise he wants me to lie next to him. I lie down awkwardly on my back, the tension making my limbs stiff.
For a while, we just lie there. The waves crash against the shore, filling the silence. Ethan kicks his legs slightly, like he's trying to get some energy out. I don't mind.
"You're strong, right?" His voice is muffled against the pillow.
The question catches me off guard. Where did that even come from?
"Erm… I guess?" I say. I don't mean to boast, but I know I can fight, survive. That has to count for something.
I expect him to nod or say something, but instead, he groans. Long. Frustrated. I frown, unsure what that means, but I can feel it, he's not satisfied with my answer.
I shift a little, trying not to overthink it, but his groan lingers in my ears. What did he mean by that? Was I supposed to say something else?
"Like… physically strong, or-" I start, then pause. His frustration isn't aimed at me, is it? I feel the familiar knot of self-consciousness tighten in my stomach.
Ethan lets out another frustrated sound, half a grunt, half a sigh. I can feel the weight of him beside me. I want to reach out, but something stops me.
"Is something wrong?" I finally murmur. My voice is softer than I intended.
He doesn't answer right away. Instead, there's a long silence, just the sound of the waves and his subtle, restless movements. Then his arm shifts slightly, brushing against mine and my chest tightens at the contact.
"I just…" His voice is muffled against the pillow, rough, quiet. "I don't get it. You… you can handle all this crazy stuff, and you barely even flinch. And It makes me thing that you must have gone through so much."
The honesty in his voice hits me harder than I expect. I turn my head slightly, catching a glimpse of the side of his face. He's tense, jaw tight, brow furrowed.
"Where is this coming from?" I ask carefully.
Another pause. Then a small, almost imperceptible sigh. "It's just... something Thomas just said" he mutters, not meeting my eyes.
Thomas? What did he tell Ethan?
I feel a lump in my throat.
Eventually, he shifts again, this time closer. His arm brushes mine more deliberately. I feel that flutter again, sharper this time, and I can't stop my heart from racing.
"Kai," he murmurs, voice softer now, like he's testing it.
"Yeah?" I reply, keeping my voice steady even though I'm anything but.
He doesn't say anything more. He just stays there, side by side with me, letting the silence speak for him.
He finally shifts and turns to face me. I tilt my head to meet his gaze, and my heart immediately starts hammering in my chest.
Is it from the rush of the fight… or from being healed?
I can't seem to look away. There's something in the way he's looking at me that pins me in place, makes everything else fade.
Then his hand drifts toward my face. I flinch slightly, years of abuse and combat make you react that way, but I don't pull away.
When his fingers brush against my cheek, a warm, almost soothing feeling spreads through me, and the tension of the day seems to melt away.
"Kai…" His voice is soft, hesitant. "What happened to you in the facility… after I was gone?"
I swallow hard. The memory hits like a punch to the chest. This isn't something I want to relive, not to anyone, let alone him.
The fight or flight instinct kicks in, urging me to run. But there's something in his eyes, something steady and patient, that keeps me rooted in place.
"I…" I don't know where to begin. How could I possibly explain the hell I went through? The torture, the pain, it was too much, even for a monster like me. Never mind for someone like Ethan, so kind and trusting.
"Don't worry about it," I say softly, hoping that will be enough to stop him from asking further.
I see something flicker behind his eyes, a shadow of concern or frustration, but he doesn't press.
"Okay… I won't push," he whispers.
His thumb begins to stroke my cheek, slowly, gently. I lean into it, craving the comfort it brings, needing it to push the dark memories back into the corners of my mind.
He shifts closer, and my chest tightens with every inch. Then, almost suddenly, he rolls onto his side and wraps his arm around me, pressing his face into my chest.
The hug feels awkward at first. I'm not used to this kind of closeness. But something in me snaps, and I wrap my arm around him in return, although it's slight and full of hesitation.
In the quiet that follows, I realise something startling, Ethan is alive, and being here with him… somehow, it makes me feel happy.
For the first time in a long while, I can just breathe.
"Kai," Ethan says again, shifting slightly so he's leaning back just enough to make me tilt my head down to meet his eyes. "Please… stay. I need you here with me."
I catch the look in his eyes, pleading, honest, unguarded and it hits me harder than I expect.
I hesitate, uncertainty twisting in my chest. Part of me wants to pull away, wants to protect myself. But the rest of me… the part that's been holding on to him, holding on to this moment, can't look away.
Part of me screams that I should leave. That I should protect myself, keep the walls I've built so carefully. I've survived by being cautious, by keeping distance. But then I feel the warmth of him against me, the faint pulse of his heartbeat through his chest, and it pulls at something inside I've been ignoring.
I want to tell him no, that I can't, that this is too much. But when I meet his eyes again, that pleading, open look… I feel a crack in the walls I've built so tightly around myself.
My hand twitches near his shoulder, but I don't pull away. I don't want to. For the first time in a long time, staying feels safer than running.
"I'm not sure..." I whisper, voice barely audible.
But then flashes of today seem to flashe through my head:
You did good out there
I thank you for your help
You saved us all back there
Do you know how worried I was
Don't think that just because you saved me I'll go easy on you now.
Kai, you do belong here, You suffered more than any of us!
You are not your father, and you do not owe the world an apology for his sins. You deserve better than that.
The voices of the people I have only know for a couple of days... and yet. I've never had so many people praising me like that before.
Can I really stay here?
Ethan's hand drifts up to my head, brushing the hair out of my face. The touch is gentle, deliberate, grounding.
As I look at him, my whole body seems to decide before my mind can catch up. Stay. Stay to help these people. Maybe this could be my chance at redemption for everything I've done. For all those people I have hurt... killed.
But deeper than that… stay for Ethan.
I swallow hard, my mind warning me to be careful, to keep my walls up. My heart pounds in my chest like a drum, but it isn't fear this time. It's something quieter, something unfamiliar an aching, steady pull to let myself be here, to let myself feel safe.
And then, before my thoughts can catch up, my head tilts slightly, almost on its own.
"Okay… I'll stay," I murmur.
The words feel heavy, yet right, and in that moment, I finally allow myself to believe it.