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It starts with a phone call. Kaiā€™s cell rings and he canā€™t hear the tone, but he feels it vibrate against his hip. He sets his food down and goes towards the house, leaving the back patio so that he can better hear the caller. ā€œKai here,ā€ he says, shutting the door to the empty house. ā€œWhat?ā€ his heart drops and his face falls. ā€œNo, thatā€™s not possible, itā€™s justā€¦but yesterday!ā€ Kai canā€™t even finish his sentence as his resolve crumbles along with his body, missing the couch by only a few inches as he collapses to the floor. ā€œY-youā€™re sure?ā€ he asks, gulping as he tries to keep himself stable. ā€œThatā€™s justā€¦shit.ā€ And he hangs up. Just like that. No one notices heā€™s gone, thereā€™s no way anyone could have, it was a crowded neighborhood barbecue and thatā€™s why Kai is surprised when the door to the house he shares with four others opens.

ā€œHey, Kai, weā€™re about toā€¦oh, thatā€™s not good.ā€ Jesse, Kaiā€™s housemate, and close friend despite the four year age difference, shuts the door and walks up to where Kai is sitting on the floor - more half lying down, half sitting. His body is twisted at an odd angle that Jesse canā€™t really describe and Kai doesnā€™t care enough to try. ā€œKai?ā€ Jesse kneels beside Kaiā€™s contorted body. Kai says nothing, does nothing, doesnā€™t even acknowledge Jesseā€™s presence. Jesse puts his hand on the boyā€™s side, trying to get his attention. And then Kaiā€™s yelling.

ā€œGet the hell away from me!ā€ Kai screams, leaping to his feet, throwing his phone at Jesse, hitting the young man in the stomach. Hard. But Jesse doesnā€™t care, because somethingā€™s not right with Kai, and that doesnā€™t work for him. Jesse doesnā€™t leave, he doesnā€™t even move and Kai doesnā€™t know what to do next. He thinks that throwing the phone should have bought him solitude, but it didnā€™t and now heā€™s confused. ā€œDid you hear me?!ā€ Kai bellows, his eyebrows furrowed in anger as he glares at Jesse. He can tell that his body is shaking, he can tell that his jaw is clenched in fury, he can tell that heā€™s red in the face with anger, but he canā€™t tell why Jesse doesnā€™t leave.

ā€œI did.ā€ Jesse nods.

ā€œThen fucking leave! I hate you!ā€ Kai picks up the nearest thing to him, the houseā€™s Scrabble dictionary ā€“ the one he and his housemates use when they canā€™t sleep and want to play word games, the one they always throw when their drunken words arenā€™t in it, the one they write made up words in when theyā€™re wasted beyond beliefā€¦and sometimes even when theyā€™re sober. Kai throws it at Jesse who doesnā€™t duck even though the book is heading straight towards him. The book collides with Jesseā€™s chest, but the young man still doesnā€™t leave, still doesnā€™t move. ā€œDo you have any respect for me at all?!ā€ Kai yells.

ā€œYes.ā€ Jesse nods again.

ā€œThen fucking leave!ā€ Kai screams a second time, unsure of how to get Jesse away from him.

ā€œNo.ā€ Jesse shakes his head.

ā€œWhy not!?ā€

ā€œBecause.ā€ Jesse dares to move closer to Kai, who picks up another book, this one a vegetarian cookbook belonging to one of his house mates, Ryan. The one that Victoria stole when they started going out so that she could cook something Ryan would eat, the one Ryan will kill him for roughing up, the one he suddenly doesnā€™t give a shit about. Kaiā€™s heart is pounding, no, itā€™s racing - no, itā€™s fucking screaming to be let out of Kaiā€™s chest; itā€™s full of rage, anger, hatred for any and everything that Kai can see, hear, smell, touch, taste or even think about right now. Especially Jesse, who doesnā€™t care. He doesnā€™t care that Kai is waving a hard back book at him. He doesnā€™t care that Kai will throw the book or that it will hit him. ā€œItā€™s not what you really want.ā€ Kai realizes that Jesse is right.

And then Kaiā€™s crying, sobbing, and Jesse isnā€™t even surprised by the change of emotion. He just reaches out and pulls the book from Kaiā€™s hand, the action simultaneous with Kai collapsing into Jesseā€™s chest, his whole body, his suddenly small body, wracked with sobs. Jesse puts the unharmed book back where it belongs and pulls Kai in with both arms, holding the younger man in a comforting embrace that he had never had to use before, not with Kai.

Kai was strong. Kai was always strong. He was always happy. He was always energetic, a powerhouse. And now heā€™s a mess. A complete mess of shaky sobs and confusion, but Jesse doesnā€™t care. It doesnā€™t matter to him that he has no idea whatā€™s wrong. It doesnā€™t matter that Kai had thrown things at him. It doesnā€™t matter that Kai had told him he hated him. It just matters that Kai doesnā€™t hate him, and Jesse can tell, because if Kai really did hate him he wouldnā€™t be drenching Jesseā€™s shirt with his tears. Jesse doesnā€™t say anything, itā€™s not the right time to say anything. He just guides Kai over to the couch, practically dragging the boy ā€“ no, the young man.

He doesnā€™t have a plan. Jesse always has a plan, but he doesnā€™t now. He doesnā€™t have a plan because he didnā€™t see this coming, not with Kai. He has a plan for if Ryan breaks down. He has a plan for if Saul breaks down. He has a plan for if Victoria breaks down. He never thought about making a plan for Kai. Kai doesnā€™t break down. Except he is. Right now. And Jesse has no idea what to do. Except nothing, which turns out to be what Kai needs.

Ryan would make a joke. Saul would do a funny voice and try to make everything okay. Victoria would turn on the maternal instinct that she pretends she doesnā€™t have and ask what was wrong, try to comfort him. Jesse does nothing. Jesse just holds him. He doesnā€™t rub Kaiā€™s back, he doesnā€™t whisper comforting words into Kaiā€™s ear, he doesnā€™t rock Kai back and forth, he doesnā€™t ask him to stop crying and he doesnā€™t tell him that things are going to be alright because he doesnā€™t know whatā€™s wrong and until he knows whatā€™s wrong, he doesnā€™t know if they will be alright or not. He wonā€™t ask whatā€™s wrong, because thatā€™s not what Kai wants, thatā€™s not what Kai needs. Kai needs to cry. He needs to cry every tear he never has and he needs to let them stain Jesseā€™s white button down. Not Ryanā€™s red sweatshirt. Not Saulā€™s checkered t-shirt. Not Victoriaā€™s black dress. Jesseā€™s white button down.

He registers every move Kai makes, though. He counts the number of times the young man stops breathing because the sobs are blocking his airway. As of now, itā€™s 12. He counts the number of times Kai shifts. As of now, itā€™s 3. He counts the number of times Kai sniffles. As of now, itā€™s 9. He listens to the changes in Kaiā€™s breathing. As of now, itā€™s shallow. He hears the volume of Kaiā€™s sobs. As of now, theyā€™re practically silent, and thatā€™s the worst. He pays attention to the way Kaiā€™s body is shaking. As of now, itā€™s violent, but three minutes ago, it was worse. That means heā€™s calming down, which means Jesse is doing nothing right. No, heā€™s doing nothing perfectly.

Seven minutes go by. The numbers are 26, 7 and 14. His breathing is medium, still on the shallow side, but better. His sobs are louder. Jesse can hear them now and thatā€™s better because itā€™s scary to feel the shaking and feel the tears and not be able to hear a single thing. The shaking isnā€™t violent. Now itā€™s just shaking; shaking like a 17 year old whoā€™s just made his campaign speech for student body president and is waiting for the results. And Jesse wonders what happened, but he still wonā€™t ask, itā€™s still not the right time. Heā€™s not sure there is ever going to be a time to ask. But there will be a time that Kai will want to tell someone, and Jesse will be there.

Itā€™s been half an hour. The numbers are 58, 13 and 36. The breathing is deep. The sobs are coming to a close. The shaking is still there, but itā€™s faint; Kaiā€™s shaking like someone who just drank three Red Bulls and canā€™t handle the caffeine rush. Jesse still does nothing and heā€™s still doing it perfectly. Kai sniffles. 37. And then he talks.

ā€œYour shirt.ā€ Thatā€™s all he says. His tone is flat and Jesse feels awful. Kaiā€™s tone is never flat. Itā€™s always something and now itā€™s nothing. He doesnā€™t say anything and it takes three more minutes, 4 more stopped breaths, one more shift and 7 more sniffles for Kai to speak again.

ā€œItā€™s soaked.ā€

ā€œI know.ā€ Jesse nods.

ā€œOh.ā€ Kai feels like he should slide off of Jesse, like he should give the young man his personal space, but he also feels like he doesnā€™t want to, and right now he doesnā€™t care about Jesseā€™s personal space. ā€œI threw a phone at you.ā€

ā€œI know.ā€ Jesse nods.

ā€œI threw a book at you.ā€

ā€œI know.ā€ Jesse nods again.

ā€œYouā€™re still here.ā€

ā€œI know.ā€

ā€œWhy?ā€

ā€œBecause I love you.ā€ Kai could take that I love you and make Jesse take it back. He doesnā€™t. He could take that I love you as friendly. He doesnā€™t. He could take that I love you and ignore it. He doesnā€™t. He doesnā€™t, because all of those options would be wrong.

ā€œI love you too.ā€ Jesse could take that reciprocation as an awkward response without feelings attached. He doesnā€™t. Jesse could take that reciprocation and ignore it. He doesnā€™t. Jesse could take that reciprocation and take advantage of it. He doesnā€™t. He doesnā€™t, because, like Kaiā€™s options, they would all be wrong.

It could be awkward, but itā€™s not. They could be asking each other what kind of love the other one means, but they donā€™t. They donā€™t because they donā€™t have to. The age difference doesnā€™t matter, it never really did, though they both pretended that it did to keep them from acting on their feelings.

Kaiā€™s emotions are cracked open now, and his feelings are lying on the floor. Jesseā€™s heart is breaking for Kai and his feelings are pouring in to Kaiā€™s body to take the place of the ones that left the young man. Itā€™s good though, because Jesse has a big heart and more than enough feelings for the both of them, at least until Kai can get his own back. So at that moment, they both know exactly what the other one means and they both know that the other knows.

They donā€™t say it, though, they donā€™t want to. Saying it would be too scary. Saying it would be too real and too much is already real for Kai right now. Just not in the good way. Kai doesnā€™t need words. Words just broke his heart. He needs contact. Contact just saved his life and he needs more. But not too much, so he takes what he needs. He places his lips gently at the corner of Jesseā€™s mouth and steals the small, but not hesitant kiss thatā€™s been saved just for him. And then Kaiā€™s

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