As Time Passes
"Who was it? In the bathroom… "
"A house staff. New recruit. Ian thought he was being attacked from the back. He was paranoid and fucked up. Julia said he had barred the bathroom so no one could get in and when he let her in he was covered in blood. The man had been stabbed right in the neck with a pen. There was nothing she could do."
Tyson chews on his lip, sad for the victim.
"Voltaire couldn't know. We had to make it look like he ran away. Left a note for his family."
"Oh god" Tyson closes his eyes. "That's terrible."
"Hmm"
Kai glances at him and touches the downturned corner of his mouth. "Don't-"
"I'm fine" he says but he's getting a little too sad. The death is affecting him more than it should be.
He must be crashing.
The drugs wearing off.
He takes Kai's hand in his and gives him a reassuring smile and a kiss on his jaw. "I'm going to go get some water. Do you want something?"
Kai regards him quietly and then says, "No, I'm good." He stretches with a yawn.
Tyson pecks him once more on his cheekbone and then gets up and shuffles out of the room in his shirt and boxers.
It's past 1 am. He doesn't think anyone would be in the hall right now.
And of course he's wrong. He sees the back of a head poking out of the side of one of the couches, boots up on the armrest.
Tyson tiptoes to the kitchen quietly, with a grimace.
He picks up a glass and rinses it feeling like the world around him is being stripped of all its color.
He wants to cry over a stranger's death.
He is mourning for his family.
He jumps when he hears footsteps behind him. Tala walking in, supposedly in search of something. He finds it on the counter – a packet of salt crackers – and takes a seat on one of the bar stools. Giving a pointed look at Tyson's boxers before looking at his face.
Tyson's so embarrassed for a moment he forgets to be depressed, his face flaming hot. "I didn't think anyone would be up," he musters.
"You're silly, Granger," says Tala, popping a cracker into his mouth and taking out his phone to scroll through it. "Has Kai slept?" he asks, thankfully changing the subject.
"No, but he's gone to bed." He discreetly pulls down his boxers a bit so less of him is exposed but it doesn't help much. He curses silently as he pushes the button to turn the electric kettle on.
Stupid as hell.
"He probably won't get any," says Tala and Tyson freezes. The words sit on his chest threatening to cave it in.
He feels the corners of his lips turning down again.
The silence is all too unbearable.
"Coffee helps," says Tala, picking up on Tyson's mood.
The kettle dings and he pours steaming water into his glass. "Thank you" he says and adds some coffee to it.
It does help. He lets out a deep sigh as the drink warms him from the inside and settles his nerves. He takes a seat on the only other stool at the counter and sets his chin on a hand, closing his eyes.
The loud sound of a cracker breaking alerts him to the presence of Tala next to him and he straightens in his seat, glancing at him.
"How did Voltaire find out about Kai?" he asks since he's been wondering about that for a while and he guesses Tala must know since he usually knows everything and he doesn't seem hostile right now.
Also he wants to distract himself.
"PI. Jay Mizono is a notorious one and Voltaire siced him on Kai."
"Then wouldn't he know about what happened tonight?"
Tala looks at him. "Jay isn't working on Kai anymore. He has a new client."
"How do you know that?"
"The same way I know everything, darling."
Tyson lets the nickname slide. At least it isn't offensive. Belittling, yes. But he'll take it over 'Bambi' any day. He sips on his coffee, mulling over the events of the night.
"Why didn't Julia call any of you for help? Ian I understand. He wasn't thinking clearly. But Julia?"
"The Marchioness doesn't call for help," he says at first, leftover anger about some argument he had with Julia earlier seeping through for a moment before he shuts his eyes and sighs. "She thought she was handling it."
"Oh" Tyson nods understandingly. That makes sense. "Kai told me to go to his room and stay there. I should have not listened and stayed with him instead."
"Why didn't you?"
Tyson looks over.
"Because you listen to everything he says?"
He takes a deep breath and lets it go. "No, I just… Can't think much around him."
Tala snorts.
"It's easier to just listen."
He sees him face palm and laugh quietly in his periphery but he ignores him, taking a slow sip of his coffee.
"I went to his room and came out like two minutes later and saw Lydia standing outside."
"Lydia?"
"She looked so scared and she was the one who told me what was happening. She said she was sober because she'd thrown up her dinner."
"Lydia's bulimic."
"Oh?"
Tala nods. He'd set the crackers aside and was sitting facing Tyson now. Absently fiddling with his phone. "She's struggled with it since the twins were born."
"Oh those first few years must have been really bad."
"They were and it's still hard for her. She doesn't deserve it. She's a good woman."
Tyson hums thoughtfully, playing with the lip of his cup.
"Are there people who deserve it?" He stares at the grainy surface of the counter top.
"Without a doubt. I can name a few just off the top of my head, but life isn't fair or whatever."
Tyson draws circles on the side of the cup.
"What did you do with the body?" he asks tentatively.
Tala inhales deeply. Lets it out. "Do you really want to know?"
Tyson sighs. "He didn't deserve it," he says, turning to look at Tala. And his eyes are clear, before a twinge of sadness touches them, his lids lowering slightly.
"No, he didn't," he says, his words just gentle breaths.
Tyson turns back, stares at his drink.
"He went quickly, if that matters."
He nods. Finishes the rest of his coffee and contemplates leaving. He wants to stay, talk some more, but his cup is empty and there's a chance that Kai might still be up, sleepless. He wants to be there for him.
"I'm going to go to bed." Tyson gets up, grabbing the glass.
Tala straightens as well. He stands and wordlessly leaves the kitchen as Tyson goes to the sink and rinses the glass.
He wakes up cocooned in Kai's warmth.
"Hi"
"Hi" Kai kisses the corner of his mouth. "Morning"
"Morning!" Tyson says with a smile, tangling his fingers in the hair at Kai's nape, dragging him down for another kiss. "Did you sleep well?" He was, thankfully, by some miracle, asleep when Tyson tiptoed back into the room last night.
"Mhm" Kai has a small smile on his face as he runs a hand up and down Tyson's bare stomach under his shirt. "Happy Christmas"
"Oh! I almost forgot. Happy Christmas to you too." He turns around to lie on his back and pulls Kai down to give him a proper kiss.
"Mm" he hums against his lips as he draws away.
"Got a couple of presents for you," says Kai.
"Where are they?"
"Do you mind receiving the first one in bed?"
Tyson tilts his head, curious. "Of course not. I'd love to get a present in…" he trails off when Kai disappears under the blanket they're sharing with intent. "Oh" he sighs as his shorts are pulled down and a warm mouth wraps around his morning wood. "Oh shit"
Tyson rolls out of bed, happy and sated, the taste of Kai lingering in his mouth. He opens the door and steps out.
It is 7:30 am.
Bryan's already dressed and sitting on the couch, ready to go home.
In the morning light, filtering in through the parted drapes, last night seems absolutely bizarre.
Tala trudges in from the opposite hallway, eyes mostly shut and hair sticking up in every direction. He groans, taking his shirt off and buries his face in the back of a couch. "It's hot. Whoever turned the heater up last night needs to die."
"It was Julia."
"Fuck her."
He finally raises his head and looks straight at Tyson, arms balanced on the couch.
Tyson braces for some form of insult to be thrown at him but nothing comes. His lips remain shut. Thinned like he was holding himself back, but shut.
Bryan gets up and leaves for the bathroom and the atmosphere gets quieter so he decides to greet him.
"Happy Christmas," Tyson says with a smile.
"You have cum on your face," he says at last. And Tyson's mortified. He immediately throws his hands up before his face to hide it but helplessly peeks around his fingers because he has no idea where it is.
Tala gestures towards the corner of his lips and Tyson quickly wipes it with a finger and puts it into his mouth.
He sees Tala's eyes widening a fraction at the thoughtless action and Tyson, realizing it, spins around and runs back into the bedroom.
"Well everyone's going home so we should-"
"Go to mine?"
Kai pauses drying his hair and smiles. "Sure"
Tyson's heart does a little leap. They'd showered together and was dressed again. The others are all ready to leave in the hall. Tyson skilfully avoids certain people when he and Kai join them.
Ian looks like he hadn't slept. There are dark circles under his eyes and his guilt is visible on his slumped shoulders like white on rice.
Julia pats him on the back as she steps into the elevator with him and the rest file in one by one.
Tyson leans against the wall, freely holding Kai's hand, and accidentally makes eye contact with Tala.
Oh great.
He feels the tops of his cheeks colouring again.
Kai seems to catch the exchange and looks down almost fondly at Tyson. "What?" he asks in his ear.
Tyson shakes his head, having dropped his gaze to the floor already.
Kai gives Tala an amused look as he presses an adoring kiss to the side of Tyson's head.
A/N: Last chapter look way too long and I'm trying to get into the habit of writing every day avain so y'all get this one early!
Hope to see you soon. Byeee. Leave your thoughts 💭 in the comments.
