Ethan knox - September 2120
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Huh…?"
My eyes flutter open, stubborn and heavy, like they are personally offended at being disturbed. The first thing I notice is warmth. Not just heat, but the solid, grounding kind that settles into your bones and tells you everything is fine, even when it isn't.
It takes a moment to realise why.
Kai.
His arms are wrapped around me, firm and possessive even in sleep, like his body decided sometime in the night that letting go simply was not an option. His breathing is slow and deep against my neck. I stay still, listening to it, letting it steady me.
He looks exhausted. His hair is a mess, curling in places it normally never does, and there are faint shadows beneath his eyes. Still, he's unfairly, painfully beautiful.
I smile without thinking.
Carefully, I lift a hand and brush his hair out of his face. My fingers trace the scar along his cheek, slow and gentle, memorising it again like I always do.
Another knock echoes through the room.
I glance towards the door and start to shift, but Kai tightens his hold instantly, pulling me back against his chest.
"Where are you going?" he mumbles, eyes still closed, voice thick with sleep.
I lean in and kiss his forehead, right where his hairline starts. "Someone's at the door. I'll be back in a second."
He groans, clearly unimpressed by this information, but loosens his grip just enough for me to escape.
I step carefully across the room, weaving around broken shelves and books still scattered across the floor from last night. Evidence of everything that went wrong. The moment I open the door, sunlight spills in and I squint, raising a hand to shield my eyes.
Daniel stands there, arms crossed.
"What took you so long?" he asks.
"I was asleep," I say, rubbing my eyes. "Shocking, I know."
"Do you even realise what time it is?" he squints at me.
I glance back into the room at the clock.
10:38 a.m.
"Oh." I blink. "Yeah… that's later than usual."
Especially for Kai. He's normally up before the sun, already training while I'm still negotiating with consciousness.
Daniel's gaze flicks over me, sharp and assessing. "How are you feeling?"
For a split second, the memory of pain flashes behind my eyes. I rub my forehead instinctively. "I'm fine. Sophie took care of it."
He nods, then just stands there. Watching me.
The silence stretches, thick and uncomfortable.
"Erm," I say, forcing a small smile. "Did you need something?"
"I just wanted to check on you," he says. "Neither of you came down for breakfast."
"Oh." I scratch the back of my neck. "Guess I needed the sleep."
"Good," he replies shortly. "I'm heading out."
As he turns away, the words spill out before I can stop them. "Daniel, wait."
He looks back.
"I just wanted to say… thanks. For turning back yesterday."
He studies me for a moment, expression unreadable. "If I hadn't turned back, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."
The words hit harder than I expect.
"Daniel-"
"I'm not here to argue," he cuts in, already walking away. "Next time, I won't make the same mistake."
And just like that, he's gone.
I shut the door, irritation simmering beneath my skin. It wasn't Kai's fault. It was mine. I knew exactly what touching her would do. I knew the consequences, and I still did it.
Stupid...
Kai's breathing is heavy and steady when I turn back around. He must have fallen back asleep. A flicker of concern tugs at my chest. He's been sleeping a lot today. Not like him at all.
I start tidying the room, stacking books back into uneven piles, trying to restore some sense of order. My fingers trail along the wall, following the deep indent left behind by Kai's powers. A physical reminder of how close he came to breaking.
Then I see them.
Bright blue and yellow capsules scattered across the floor.
My chest tightens as I crouch down, gathering them carefully. Each one feels heavier than it should. He was closer to the edge last night than he ever let me see. And it was all my fault.
I turn the antidepressant bottle slowly in my hand.
He never told me.
But knowing Kai, it isn't because he didn't trust me. He just didn't want me worrying. Didn't want to be another thing I felt responsible for.
I place the bottle gently on the bedside table and climb back into bed beside him.
The moment I move closer, he stirs. After a few slow blinks, his eyes meet mine. Soft. Dark. Familiar in a way that still makes my heart stumble.
I smile, and without hesitation, he wraps his arms around me again, pulling me in like gravity.
My head settles against his chest, and my thoughts finally quiet.
"Are you okay?" he asks softly.
I nod, even though the question almost makes me laugh. "Yeah. Are you?"
He leans down and kisses the top of my head. "I'm fine. I'm sorry about last night."
I tilt my head up to meet his eyes. "You don't need to apologise. I'm the one who made a stupid decision."
I can see him about to argue, so I lean up and kiss him before he can.
Once... then again, deeper.
He melts into it, hands tightening at my waist, grounding me. I shift, half laughing, half breathless, and he looks at me like I'm something precious, something he's terrified of losing.
Before I even realise what I'm doing, I gently push him back against the mattress and shift to sit on his waist. He looks up at me in quiet surprise, eyes dark and soft, and it makes my chest tighten in the best way.
I reach down and cup his face, thumbs brushing along his jaw, and then I lean back down. We fall into the kiss again, deeper this time, slower, like neither of us wants to rush it.
He breaks away first, lips trailing from mine to my neck. The touch is gentle, almost reverent, and my eyes slip shut as warmth spreads through me. My body responds before my thoughts can catch up, hips shifting instinctively.
He exhales sharply against my skin, the sound sending a shiver straight down my spine. It makes my heart race, every beat loud in my ears.
I can feel the tension building between us, unspoken but undeniable. Suddenly his hands move, quick and decisive, pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it aside. The cool air hits my skin, but his lips follow immediately, grounding me again as he presses a kiss to my chest.
My heart pounds harder, caught somewhere between laughter and breathlessness, overwhelmed by how safe and wanted he makes me feel all at once.
His lips find mine again, unhurried and certain. One hand cups the back of my head while his other arm wraps around me, holding me close as he shifts his weight. Before I can fully register it, he rolls us over, and I end up flat on my back beneath him.
He never stops kissing me.
The kisses change, drifting away from my mouth, mapping a slower path across my skin. Downward. Unrushed. Each one lingers just long enough to make my breath hitch before he moves again.
When he reaches the elastic band of my shorts, he pauses. His teeth catch the edge lightly, tugging just enough to make my heart stutter. He glances up at me, eyes dark and intent.
Heat floods my face. I let out a small, embarrassed sound and lift an arm to cover my eyes.
"Kai-" my voice quivers.
He laughs softly, the sound warm and fond, like he finds my reaction endearing rather than something to tease. When he moves again, a shiver runs straight through me, sharp and uncontrollable.
His kisses trail back upward, retracing their path. Before I can hide again, he gently pulls my arm away from my face. I peek at him, only to find him smiling down at me, soft and open, like there's nowhere else in the world he'd rather be.
"Don't hide your face," Kai murmurs gently.
He leans in and presses a kiss to my temple, lingering there just a second longer than necessary.
"I like seeing your face," he adds quietly, voice low and warm, "especially when you say my name like that."
The way he says it makes my heart stumble in my chest. Heat rushes to my cheeks before I can stop it, and I'm painfully aware of how red my face must be by now.
I shake my head slightly, trying and failing to hide my smile. "That's unfair," I mumble, voice still warm and unsteady.
Kai's smile softens, like he knows exactly what he's doing and has no intention of stopping. He leans down, foreheads brushing, noses almost touching.
"Sorry," he says, not sounding sorry at all. His thumb traces a slow line along my cheek, wiping away the last of my embarrassment. "You're just… cute when you get flustered."
I groan quietly and turn my face into the pillow for half a second before looking back at him. "You're impossible."
He shifts closer, and uses his knee to spread my legs. The movement is effortless, like he knows exactly how I'll respond before I do.
He leans down, close enough that I can feel his breath against my ear.
"But you're enjoying this," he murmurs softly, warmth threaded through every word.
My breath catches. My heart gives an unhelpful little leap, and any attempt at a response dissolves before it reaches my mouth. He pulls back just enough to look at me, eyes searching my face with that familiar mix of fondness and quiet intensity.
The corner of his mouth curves into a smile, gentle rather than teasing, as if he's already decided there's nowhere else he wants to be.
I swallow, hands tightening in his shirt, and manage a quiet, breathless, "You know me too well."
His expression softens instantly.
Sunlight spills across the wall, painting the chaos of yesterday in gold. But here, in this quiet space between us, nothing else exists. Just him. Just me. And the fragile, beautiful thread that holds us together.