Medical Interest, Nothing More (eleceed Kayden x Kartein)

by MariachiMermaid

Kartein had decided on a plan of attack, er well, plan of health. It was a stupid plan, not that Kartein would say it out loud, but a stupid plan for a stupid man seemed fitting. So began Kartein's mission to expose himself to Kayden. Wait, no. - Kartein takes on the great challenge of healing Kayden, and somehow gains a relationship from it.

Now, Kartein wasn't the type of man to brag (that's a lie; he loved nothing more to preen), but he wasn't named the world's best awakened healer for nothing. He'd dealt with all manner of injuries; he'd regrown limbs, exterminated cancers, restored eyesight, everything. Truly, there was nothing, from injury to illness, that Kartein couldn't heal. Except, of course, a patient who didn't want to be healed.

Granted, even that wasn't entirely true; he could forcefully heal someone if they were weak enough, but why would he? Not that anyone had ever refused his medical attention (not that he was ever the one making offers), but if they did, Kartein figured they deserved whatever foolish end they brought themselves to. Strong awakeners were a different beast, though. It was the body's natural reflex to resist a surge of foreign ability; almost all of his patients tensed up from the kickback at first, but they always dropped their guard when he told them to. For a strong awakener, or at least anyone stronger than himself, Kartein wouldn't be able to get past the patient's natural reflex to resist him if they didn't want him to. And that was fine.

Healing someone who didn't want help was never an idea Kartein entertained, not even for a second.

Until Jiwoo, of course.

Jiwoo would never be so daft as to refuse Kartein's treatment, save for the first occasion borne from the blind loyalty only a protégé could have, but the boy had the unfortunate luck to have a stubborn and prideful mentor with a grievous injury. Frankly, Kartein was surprised at how long it had taken Jiwoo to ask him for help.

It had gone something like this;

Kartein was cooking dinner on one of the few nights when Jiwoo's loud friends hadn't stayed over and had been absolutely basking in the silence of an empty house. Normally, he wouldn't be caught dead cooking for someone else; that was what live-in chefs were for, but Jiwoo's meals otherwise consisted entirely of cheap takeout, and Kartein simply couldn't stand such a poor diet. While not badly off, the boy didn't have the funds to afford a personal chef, and Kartein certainly wasn't going to pay for one on his own (that implied a sense of permanence that he was far too prideful to admit). So, Kartein cooked, much to his chagrin.

It would have been a perfectly normal Tuesday evening, should have been at least, but Jiwoo had to come in with his well-meaning concern and bring up a problem Kartein had never considered before.

"Mr. Kartein?" Jiwoo hopped up onto one of the counters and swung his legs like a child as he waited for a response.

Kartein simply hummed, by now used to Jiwoo's often unprompted conversations.

"You're the best healer in the whole world, right?"

Kartein snorted in a rather undignified manner and cocked an eyebrow at the boy. Of course, he was the best; what even was the point of that question?

Jiwoo looked at his lap and fiddled with his hands, "So you could heal anyone in the world? Anyone at all no matter what?"

"Anyone who isn't already dead, and who I want to heal, yes." Kartein huffed, far less snappish and annoyed by the question than his pride would usually allow for.

"Anyone you wanted to heal, yes of course. But what if-" Jiwoo paused and gnawed on his lip, "what about someone who didn't want to be healed, could you do it then?"

"Why would I ever want to heal someone foolish enough to deny my great skills, hmm? Don't ask stupid questions, Jiwoo."

"Ah, well yes. But even so, could you?" Clearly, Jiwoo wasn't keen to give up the question.

Kartein pursed his lips and gave thought to the idea, potential shortcomings weren't his favourite things to dwell on, "Maybe. It would be difficult to heal a strong person if they resisted me, but I'm sure I could find a way around it. I am, after all, Kartein, there is no obstacle that I can't overcome to heal a patient."

Jiwoo positively beamed at that answer, and Kartein gave a little smile of his own, happy that he had both reassured the child and praised his own skills. Truly, there was no better thing than the adoration of someone with a pure heart like Jiwoo's.

Jiwoo scooted closer to Kartein (too close to the stovetop for Kartein's liking) and looked around as if to make sure no one was there to eavesdrop, "Then, would it be possible for you to heal Mr. Kayden, even if he doesn't want you to?"

The blond almost dropped the entire saltshaker into the soup out of surprise, dinner having been saved only by how he reflexively clenched his fists in annoyance at the thought of helping Kayden. "Absolutely not." Kartein would never waste his precious efforts on Kayden, dammed stubborn man that he was; the fighting maniac would surely jump straight into another idiotic battle and waste all Kartein's hard work.

"Not that I couldn't, of course," Kartein felt the need to clarify, "but because I am not about to make myself into that megalomaniac's free pass to fight as he pleases. He's barely tolerable now when he has to pick his fights carefully; I refuse to deal with him at his normal levels of insanity."

Kartein had hoped that would end the conversation, but then Jiwoo had to pull out his trump card. The boy turned to face the healer fully and gave him his widest, most watery-eyed, most dejected pout. It was truly an admirable expression; one that perfectly captured the essence of the type of pathetically wet and downtrodden cat that was likely to show up on one's doorstep to beg for shelter. Only a few seconds in, and Kartein could feel his resolve begin to break. Jiwoo knew what he was doing, of course, and Kartein knew that Jiwoo knew what he was doing. The blond had allowed himself to be 'tricked' by Kayden and Jiwoo before, had taken the goading as an easy out, so he didn't have to admit that he had grown fond of the boy, but this was a different situation entirely. Jiwoo, evidently, knew the emotional sway he had over his guardians, and he was using it to his fullest.

Kartein thought over the suggestion, more of a plea that he would get strong armed into agreeing with, but whatever. Could he really heal Kayden even if the other didn't want him to? Did he want to heal Kayden? Horrified to find that the answer was yes, Kartein tried to make a list of benefits and drawbacks to convince himself it wasn't worth the effort. Unfortunately for him, healing Kayden would really only be a good thing. The volatile man seemed to have learned some sense of responsibility and clearly had no intention of abandoning Jiwoo. Not to mention, the stronger Kayden was, the safer Jiwoo could be. Also, a traitorous part of his mind whispered, you'd feel a lot safer if Kayden was at his full power. Now that was not a thought that Kartein wanted to dwell on. Did Kayden repeatedly and unhesitatingly offer himself as protection while Kartein healed others? Yes. Did that fact have any influence on why Kartein had been so philanthropic with his recent cases? Also, yes. But Kartein didn't want to think about that, didn't want to think about the fact that he trusted Kayden, if implicitly. No, they weren't friends, and they weren't close. They were just allies, brought together over a mutual vested interest in Jiwoo's safety. No other reason. And that interest in Jiwoo's safety was the only reason Kartein was considering saying yes to Jiwoo's request. That and to see if he could really do it. Not from any personal interest. Certainly not because he was concerned for Kayden, and certainly not because he cared about the man, god forbid.

Kartein heaved a long-suffering sigh, "I suppose it can be done."

Instantly, Jiwoo's pathetic wet cat look brightened to his usual cheery grin.

"But-" Kartein interrupted before Jiwoo could say anything, "Kayden can't know I'm healing him. He'll just pitch a fit and cause too much trouble for my time. So, keep quiet and let me work on how to heal him without his knowledge." Really, Kartein was more worried about the other prideful man forcibly blocking out his healing ability, but Jiwoo didn't need to know that.

"Yes, sir!" Jiwoo cheered and bounded forward to hug Kartein.

The blond huffed, ruffled Jiwoo's hair, and returned to his soup, mulling over a plan while he stirred in some green onion.

Kartein had decided on a plan of attack, er well, plan of health. It was a stupid plan, not that Kartein would say it out loud, but a stupid plan for a stupid man seemed fitting.

The problem with going about things the normal way was that Kayden would notice right away and resist treatment. Hell, he'd even block out Kartein's ability to diagnose the problem. Even when he had told Jiwoo he'd be honest, Kayden had been cagey, all too happy to explain how he got injured but repeatedly avoiding anything that would hint at what his injuries actually were. Kartein had his guesses, of course, but he wouldn't risk a misdiagnosis even if his patient was Kayden. So, if he wanted Kayden to not notice the energy from his ability, Kartien would have to find a way of acclimation. Exposure therapy, albeit mundane, was clearly the best option.

So began Kartein's mission to expose himself to Kayden.

Wait, no.

Kartein started it small. Short bursts of energy that even a hypervigilant bastard like Kayden wouldn't notice. It wouldn't be of any real use to Kartein, save for the fact that it would acclimate Kayden to him, but he had to start somewhere.

So, while they were both in cat form, Kartein began to channel energy into Kayden. They were just barely taps, the briefest of moments of contact. A brush of whickers or a short second when their fur touched. Kayden only seemed to really notice that Kartein was touching him at all when the healer batted his tail.

It was night at Jiwoo's house, and the couches were, like usual, occupied by Wooin, Subin, Jisuk, and Jiwoo. Kayden, as the fatass Casein Nitrate, had taken his usual place at the end of the sofa, and Kartein had laid down just barely within reach, also as usual. The kids had chattered and laughed, and all was well. Raucous laughs turned into hushed whispers and giggles, and then into soft sleepy breaths and snores. Such was the natural way of sleepovers, Kartein supposed, not that he knew from experience.

As the children settled, so did Kayden as he allowed the sweet song of sleep to drift him off into the night. Kayden, Kartein knew, was a very light sleeper. Most powerful awakeners were, it came with the whole constantly under attack thing, but Kayden especially so. Years of drifting from fight to fight all alone would do that to a man, Kartein supposed. The blond himself was half tempted to shirk his duty and drift off into sleep, but he for once ignored his cat instincts and proceeded.

Shakily, unsure if this would ruin his efforts so soon, Kartein batted at Kayden's tail with his white paw, at the same time pushing some of his energy into the bigger cat for a brief second. Kayden's tail twitched out of reach, and he slowly lifted his head to give Kartein a curious look. The white cat met his eyes evenly, if a bit sleepily. If need be, Kartein could explain his actions as the instinctual cat reflex to swipe at moving things. There was, however, no need. Kayden stared at Kartein for only a moment, and then promptly flopped back down. He even swung his tail back to its original closeness to Kartein's paws, completely unbothered and, more surprisingly, without any trace of judgment. Considering how Kayden loved to taunt Kartein, the nonplussed reaction to his actions seemed almost like acceptance, or even encouragement. Nonsense, of course, Kayden must've simply been tired and uninterested in a playful spat.

Still, as the days passed Kayden continued to allow the contact. Kartein continued to bat at Kayden's tail, sometimes while he slept, sometimes while at the brink of sleep, and each time sent a smidge of energy into the orange cat to acclimate him. This unbothered reaction told Kartein one thing, that he could move forward and up the "dosage" of, well, himself.

It also told him that, even if it was only a minuscule amount, Kayden trusted him. But that was something that Kartein didn't want to think about, even if it made his chest feel tight and warm with some kind of unknown affection. It was just pride. Pride at the knowledge that he was succeeding in his new treatment plan. Yes, pride, that was surely all there was.

Healing even the smallest of injuries took more than the brief seconds of contact that Kartein had worked Kayden up to, so after a week of treating the fatty's tail as his own personal cat toy, Kartein decided to up the ante. He'd initiate longer instances of contact with a slightly lowered level of energy so as not to tip the other off.

Another night with Jiwoo's friends over, so another night of takeaway dinners and allowing children to maul his cat form. Jisuk brought treats to both 'cats' with that slightly concerning brand of fearful reverence. Wooin gently petted the littler cats, and occasionally, when he thought no one was listening, whispered praises and secrets to them. Subin alternated between dramatically clinging to Casein Nitrate and Kartein (whom the children had dubbed Curtain in white cat form) as she lamented over her boy troubles. Subin's boy troubles, always to the adults' horror, entirely consisted of her dual crushes on Kayden and Kartein. Tonight, apparently, was Kartein's turn to be smothered by the young girl as she tittered over him and Kayden. It was an uncomfortable situation, but at least made for a perfect excuse to initiate the second step in Kayden's treatment.

With great effort, Kartein wiggled his lanky cat body out from Subin's arms and stalked over to the spot furthest away from the young girl. If the furthest spot just so happened to be right next to Kayden, all the better.

Kartein manoeuvred so that his and Kayden's flanks were pressed flush against each other, his action disguised as an innocuous attempt to distance himself from the children. As he settled against the larger body, Kartein sent forth faint pulses of his awakened ability, weak enough pushes that Kayden wouldn't be able to distinguish them from his own heartbeat, and waited.

Neither of the two men were particularly touchy people, and as such Kartein fully expected Kayden to shove him away, or to at least make some kind of snarky comment about his supposed irresistibility, but much like the last week, Kayden gave no such reaction. He tensed up for a moment at their initial contact, but relaxed just as quickly, seemingly unbothered. And perhaps was Kartein just imagining things, but Kayden even seemed to press further against the white cat so that they were fully flush at their sides, instead of just at the hip.

Kayden as Casein Nitrate, unsurprisingly due to his size, made a wonderfully comfortable body to lean against. Unlike Kartein's thin and almost patchy coat, Kayden's fur was full, soft, and warm. Given the sorry state of his cat form, Kartein was almost always cold, and he couldn't help but to press a little bit further into Kayden's comfortable warmth. The fat cat clearly had enough body heat to spare, and he didn't seem to much mind Kartein's presence at his side, so he better well share it. Kartein resisted the urge to purr as his scraggly tail twined around Kayden's fluffy one. Stupid cat instincts, trying to make it look like he and the great oaf were close.

Of course, eventually, the kids noticed them, sat for once like normal cats, Kayden stoic and paunchy with Kartein leaning on him.

"Awww! Look at the little guys, all snuggled up the babies!" Subin exclaimed, gleefully.

Instantly, the three other heads whipped around to the two awakeners, as did the teens' phones. Even Jiwoo, who knew what the two were and had been told countless times that they were not friends cooed and snapped some photos. Both Kayden and Kartein huffed, and just as quickly and casually as they had cosied up to each other, they jumped off the couch and walked their separate ways. Kartein did not miss Kayden's warmth, and he absolutely did not curl up in his makeshift cat bed-box to sulk. He would have more time, Kartein assured himself, he'd have to go on with this close contact for a while before he could properly diagnose and heal Kayden. Not that he wanted to be so close to the other, no not at all, this was simple doctoral worry.

Nonetheless, Kartein couldn't repress the contented spark of delight that lit up within him whenever he got the opportunity to lean against Kayden's cat form. He was always careful and conscious to send out his ability so Kayden could get used to it, but that didn't mean he couldn't also relax and enjoy their time together.

The week moved onward, full of catnaps and a noisy, teen-filled, house. Kartein was rather delighted with the fact that Kayden had started to seek him out now, instead of it always being the other way around. They wouldn't always lie together; they still had their own training to do, but it had become a rather pleasant afternoon habit that when Kartein went to bask in the sun, Kayden would join and curl around him like an oversized, protective, pillow. Neither mentioned the habit to the other, content to let it become an unspoken peace between them.

While Kartein could use his ability as a cat, it wasn't the most effective and he absolutely needed to be a human to heal someone like Kayden. Thus, began phase three.

It wasn't uncommon for Kartein to wander around the house as a human man when guests weren't about. Someone had to do the chores, it evidently wasn't going to be Kayden's lazy ass and Kartein wasn't going to make Jiwoo do all the upkeep after a long day of school and mischief. So, transformed into his true form of a human man, Kartein busied himself around the house as he plotted ways to acclimate Kayden to his ability like this. Luckily, he didn't have to try very hard.

Kayden had always seemed to find it funny that Kartein was the one to clean the house. He found it even funnier, Kartein supposed, to deliberately make an obstacle of himself when Kartein was trying to get work done.

If Kartein was washing the dishes, Kayden was there on the countertop to bat the freshly cleaned glasses dangerously close to the counter edge. When Kartein dusted and vacuumed the house, Kayden always made himself underfoot; he'd dart between Kartein's legs to make him trip, grab the dustcloth and play with it just to send the dust back up in the air, and he'd plop himself obstinately in front of or in the middle of wherever it was that Kartein wanted to vacuum. God forbid Kartein tried to do any paperwork or research on the computer. It was infuriating.

Before, when Kartein truly believed he hated Kayden, he'd simply storm off and start a different task, leading him and Kayden on an antagonistic chase around the house as he rushed to finish work before Kayden got to him, and the other rushed to get in the way. Now, though, now Kartein saw these annoyances as an opportunity.

When Kayden swaggered onto the counter to push around glasses and plates, Kartein let him. The blond ignored his feline-shaped companion right up until the moment of impact. In the moment just before the dishes were about to fall and shatter, Kartein would swoop in and pick up Kayden before he could make the last push. As he walked the orange cat over to the couch, he'd push in just a little bit more of his healing energy, before scolding the man and tossing him onto the plush cushions and heading back to the sink. When Kayden got under foot while Kartein was cleaning, he'd do the same, pick the cat up, scold him, and put him on the couch. Sometimes, he'd get tired of walking back and forth from room to room just to move Kayden, so he'd carry him around instead, and clean with just one hand. When Kayden flopped his fat body over Kartein's papers or keyboard, Kartein simply pushed him aside, or set him in his lap to be petted while Kartein worked.

Kayden, unsurprisingly at this point, cared very little about the new treatment. He never swiped at Kartein like he did to the other people who tried to pet him, and instead, he let out an easy laugh whenever Kartein would complain at him. Indeed, Kayden made a nuisance of himself more and more often Kartein finally gave in and simply picked up Kayden whenever he was in his human form, allowing the heavy cat to perch on his shoulder or lap whenever he so pleased. Kartein allowed the other to believe this was his victory, and not Kartein's, but as they walked around the house together, bickering and talking shit, he basked in the genius of the plan.

He was only extra happy because this made it all the more likely that he'd succeed in healing Kayden, no other reason. It wasn't because his relationship with Kayden had gone from strained to comradic, and it certainly wasn't because Kartein hoped that it would turn into something more. There was absolutely no sense of affection and delight whenever Kayden fell asleep on Kartein, no squeezing in his chest when he thought about the kind of trust Kayden had deemed him worthy of. Kartein absolutely didn't think about how he too trusted Kayden with his life, or how this mutual trust made them more than the begrudging allies they had been at the best of times before. Nope, it was all pride, just pride, pride was all Kartein could feel. If only he believed it.

Being able to use such a manner of ability on Kayden as a cat in only a month was, while exemplary progress, not quite good enough. Kayden's cat form wasn't sick, not at all. Despite his hefty weight, Kayen the cat was in nothing less than perfect health, and therefore there was nothing for Kartein to diagnose, let alone heal. And so came the tricky part, dealing with a human Kayden.

Cosying up with cat Kayden was one thing, there they both had the plausible deniability of cat instincts to rely on, but as a human, it was very possible that Kartein's pride would take an unrecoverable hit for the sake of Kayden's health. Still, Kartien soldiered forward. And only for health reasons, not because he wanted to cuddle with Kayden the human.

Kayden was human far less often than Kartein, and he usually used force control when he was, but that didn't mean there were no opportunities for Kartein.

Jiwoo's high school, which he barely seemed to go to these days, had requested a meeting with the boy's parents. It was, of course, not possible for Jiwoo's mother to fly in so soon on such short notice. With an expertly done guilt trip by Jiwoo, wherein he dejectedly reminded the two adults that he'd never had a teacher-parent meeting on account of his mother's job and him moving around so often, both Kayden and Kartein found themselves at Jiwoo's school, pretending to be his uncles. How Jiwoo managed to convince the principal of this lie, Kartein wasn't sure, although he suspected he and Kayden had been put down as the kid's emergency contacts long before they were informed of such a thing.

The principal smiled at the odd three as they walked into her office. She was an older woman, in her late sixties by Kartien's guess, with neat grey hair and glasses perched low on her round nose. She had cataracts, Kartein noticed, although she likely didn't know that yet considering her squinting through the thick-lensed glasses. Jiwoo's teacher was there too, a balding middle-aged man who Kartein thought should get a checkup at the cardiologist. The kindly woman bowed to greet them and gestured for them to sit. Confident that the principal had bought the lie, Jiwoo skittered off somewhere to find his friends and left.

A bit awkwardly, Kartien cleared his throat, "So, what did you want to talk to us about?"

The old lady's gaze flickered between the two, unsure for a moment, before some kind of realization came upon her and she positively beamed at the two, "Ah, so wonderful! I see now why Jiwoo is such a compassionate young man, it was so lovely of the two of you to have stepped up for him while his mother is away at work."

It took a moment for Kartein to catch onto what the woman had just implied and tried his hardest to not look surprised. What exactly had Jiwoo told this woman?

Kayden was far quicker on the uptake. He smiled with a sort of polite and easygoing charm that Kartien had never seen before and grasped Kartein's hand within his own in a place where the principal and teacher could clearly see. "Ah, thank you, ma'am. Jiwoo's always been such a wonderful kid, Kartein and I were delighted when my sister-in-law asked us to take him in for his high school years."

Kartein's brain promptly skort-circuited. Kayden was holding his hand. Willingly. In public. In a country where these things were less than public matters. Kayden Break. Mr. No Attachments Lone Wolf had made the executive decision to tell Jiwoo's principal and teacher that the two of them were together. Kartein would have to have some words with Kayden later about looking into a country's political climate before declaring such things. For the time being, though, he simply nodded and gave his most winningest 'person of repute' smile. Neither of the educators seemed upset with the declaration, for which Kartein was glad; he didn't need Jiwoo to suffer in school just because Kayden didn't think before he spoke.

Most of the rest of the meeting was a blur for Kartein. He sat back and let Kayden take the lead, and mostly nodded or added his thoughts only when necessary. Quite honestly, Kartein was distracted. Kayden cleaned up nicely, in a full suit instead of an ill-fitted shirt and slacks. More than once Kartein's eyes and mind wandered from the topic at hand to simply admire Kayden's face. It was endearing to see him so polished and professional, similar to how he had been when meeting Jiwoo's mother. Although, Kartein thought he preferred Kayden's usual rough and tumble look to this professional stranger wearing Kayden's face. Not that he'd ever tell him.

Kayden's hands, Kartein noticed as the principal talked about class schedule and grades, were pleasantly warm. The man's use as a living space heater seemed to extend beyond his time in the body of the fat cat. Whilst Kartein's pulse was positively pounding through his skin, Kayden's pulse was steady, clearly not facing the same internal struggle that the healer was. Of course, this was all just an act for Kayden, just a way to make life good for Jiwoo. Kartein tried to squash down the disappointment and instead shifted his focus to distributing the proper amount of healing strength to Kayden. Kartein learned absolutely nothing from the meeting.

If nothing else, the conference opened the floodgates to a far more affectionate Kayden. In the following days, Kayden was a human around the house more and more, and he was equally as tactile as a man as he was as a cat.

When Kartein cooked, Kayden was there to lean on him and steal bites of food. When Kartein cleaned, Kayden tailed him and pointed out spots that he had 'missed'. When Kartien sat on the couch with the computer on his lap, Kayden leaned against him, or swung his arm over his shoulders, or pulled Kartein's legs onto his lap so he had room to stretch out. When Kartein was a cat and Kayden was not, the man would hold him on his lap and pet him. So strange was this new affectionate Kayden, that half the time, Kartien forgot to actually use his ability on him. They were just friendly gestures, Kartein told himself. They had to be, no matter how desperately Kartein wished they were something else.

A month after Kartein's initial promise to Jiwoo, things were at a standstill. The healer would have to have extended contact with Kayden as a human man, and he couldn't think of any new way to increase contact without suspicion. To make matters worse, all this galivanting and sneaking about really cut into Kartein's beauty rest. Kartein had taken to sleeping as a human when they were at Jiwoo's house as it helped him recover his energy better. Considering how often Kartein was expending his ability nowadays, he needed the best rest he could get.

As Kartein made his way upstairs, he heard the click-clack of claws on hardwood. A surreptitious glance in the mirror as he brushed his teeth confirmed that, yes, it was Kayden as Casein Nitrate, he had followed Kartein upstairs. The healer elected to say nothing, and to his great shock, Kayden hopped into bed with him. The overweight cat curled up against Kartein's chest and began to settle into sleep. Kartein tampered down his shock and pretended to go to sleep himself. Kayden had been subject to a steady input of Kartein's power for some while, and he felt it was time to begin the real work.

When he was sure Kayden had fallen asleep, Kartein shifted and placed his hand on the round fluffy body. No movement.

Slowly, Kartein began to use his ability, and just as he hoped, he'd pushed Kayden out of his cat form and into his human one. The man remained still, sleeping peacefully, hair mussed around his face and features completely relaxed. Kartein couldn't help but feel a bit guilty as he used his ability to finally, finally, see what was wrong with Kayden. The man remained still and calm, even as the room filled with the soft golden glow of Kartein's power. It was the first time, the blond thought, that he had ever seen Kayden asleep as a human. To say that Kayden looked younger would be a lie; very few people looked any different at all when they slept and those with enough worries to age them in wakefulness usually had their worries follow them into sleep as well. Kayden's face was never one changed by circumstance, though, and here in the nighttime as Kartein searched for the root of his health issues, he looked calm and entirely relaxed.

It took several hours for Kartein to sus out Kayden's real issue, but there it was, sitting just beneath his force core and above his gut. A festering coil of energy, leftover from the fight with the top three. The miasma thrummed and writhed in such a way that Kartein knew only awakened abilities could. They were not physical things in the body, in the same way that the force core was not a physical thing in the body, but they had very physical effects, nonetheless. Kartein finally understood why the top three hadn't bothered to hunt Kayden down to finish what they started. It was an open secret that the World Awakeners Association wanted to see Kayden dead, or at least severely humbled. The energy left in Kayden only proved that.

It was a power sink. Kartein had only heard of them in theory. He knew it was a supposed trick the Frame sometimes liked to use when they couldn't kill their enemies outright for fear of political repercussions. Certain powerful awakeners were said to be able to willingly keep some of their awakened ability in someone else's body, like a parasite. The ability would 'hide' within the person's injuries and sap their strength, and then their ability from the force core. They slowed healing drastically, made it almost impossible really, and were rumoured to be able to completely suck a force core dry. Until now, Kartein had believed them to be nothing more than a fear-mongering tactic from the Frame. Just another series of whispers in the dark made to make the organisation seem more powerful and scary, made to scare the cowardly and cautious into forfeiting challenges before they even started. Apparently, force sinks were a real thing, and more than just the Frame had figured out how to do them.

Kartein pursed his lips, in Kayden, there were three of the abilities malingering and draining his energy. His outer wounds had healed well enough, but his insides were effectively mush, how Kayden hadn't gone into septic shock, Kartein didn't know. It would take a long time to fix, an incredibly long time considering Kartein could only work nights, but he was sure he could do it. He had to. For Kayden.

The nights came and went, and Kayden's condition improved slowly. Instead of spending his nights resting, Kartein spent them on Kayden, burning up all his strength and energy to try and get rid of the power sinks. He had to go at each awakener's contribution one at a time, and as he worked on each one he thought about the people who had attacked Kayden.

They weren't entirely unfounded, Kartein supposed; Kayden had wanted to fight them after all. But to spring an ambush? How underhanded. Trickery was all part of the game, Kartein knew this, but he couldn't help but think that even if the top three had taken Kayden out, they would never be able to really say they had defeated Kayden Break. If it had taken all three of them to damage him, then none of them had any right to claim a victory. There were a lot of types of people who Kartein couldn't stand, and people who oversold their abilities were somewhere at the top of the list, right next to cowards. He made a mental note to never again work with any of those top three who attacked Kayden. If asked, he would say it was because they lacked integrity, but he knew it was mostly his loyalty to Kayden talking. He was too far gone now, worrying over the other like some kind of partner, to deny his feelings for Kayden. He simply hoped they would never come to light, as nothing good could come from loving Kayden Break.

Considering how much sleep he had been sacrificing, Kartein had been holding up surprisingly well. He was positively exhausted most days, running on a maximum of three hours of sleep and a complete energy deficit. Even still, he had to maintain appearances, so in the mornings when he woke up, he would slip off to the bathroom and apply a layer of discreet makeup. It wasn't a skill he used often, his renowned beauty being all natural of course, but it was one he had learned for fancy meetings and conferences just in case.

Jiwoo, at least, seemed to not notice any changes. He still brought his friends over and made a raucous as all good teenagers should. He had been especially chipper since Kartein had told him he had begun to heal Kayden in short intervals. His mood had been intensely infectious to the other kids, and so the house had become even louder than usual, which did nothing to help Kartein's near-daily sleep-deprived migraines. Or maybe the house just seemed louder because he was more tired. Either way, Kartein tried his damndest to not let his exhaustion show to Jiwoo. Even though he felt more irritable, he kept his temper in check and never snapped, at least not more than the normal amount where Jiwoo knew he didn't mean it. Even though he was bone tired, he still bustled around the house, cooking, cleaning and keeping things in order. The fridge was still full of groceries, the kittens still had a clean litterbox, all was good.

Kayden, obviously, was more perceptive. He watched Kartein more often as if trying to gauge what was going on. When Kartein laid down for his afternoon catnap in the sun, Kayden curled around him tighter, more protectively, and let him sleep for longer. When Kartein sliced his finger while chopping vegetables, Kayden clicked his tongue and brought over the first aid kit and even the teasing about being a rich boy who couldn't work a kitchen didn't hide the concern in the other man's voice. Kayden no longer made Kartein's cleaning duties difficult, and in fact, the healer often found them already done by the time he woke up from his afternoon nap. Even with the extra help, Kartein was still exhausted most days, the tiredness seeping into his bones and dragging him down. Jiwoo might not have caught on, but Kartien could feel the increasing concern radiating off Kayden.

This whole extended contact thing was starting to mess with Kartein's head. Or maybe it was the compounded effects of a month of sleep deprivation.

In the past month, Kayden had become almost sweet. Or, well, sweet for Kayden.

The two still traded barbs and sniped at each other like they normally would, but something was markedly off. Kayden seemed almost mellow, more telexed, almost chipper. He laughed more, these days with Kartein instead of at him, and seemed altogether in a great mood. Maybe it was just because Kartein's treatment was mostly successful. He had fully removed one of the awakener's energies from Kayden and was making significant progress on the rest of it. Kartein even flirted with the idea that somehow, subconsciously, Kayden knew that his good mood was due to Kartein because he smiled at the blond with shocking frequency. Although, sometimes the smiles held more concern than joy.

In a spectacular happenstance of both good and absolutely abysmal luck, Kayden had decided to change his sleep schedule in the last stretch of removing the energy sink. This change was perfectly, helpfully, wonderfully, convenient in that Kayden had, out of the blue, decided to go to bed not as Casein Nitrate but as himself the man. This change was spectacularly, horrifyingly, mortifyingly, unhelpful because Kayden now spent his nights in bed with Kartein as a man. As a devastatingly handsome and infuriatingly charming man. As the man Kartein had been silently mooning over for several months. As a man whom Kartein now laid in bed with at night while sleep deprived to the point of loopy delirium.

It was heaven and hell all at once.

Kayden was, by all natural means, a wonderful bedmate. He didn't toss and turn, he didn't snore, he didn't spread out into positions that took up an unreasonable amount of space, and he even had managed to find a way to spoon Kartein without the awkward jumble of bony limbs and numb arms that the other was accustomed to with previous partners. None of these wonderful (read: infuriating) traits of Kayden's helped in any way with Kartein's sleep-deprived gay panic.

Kartein spent his nights cradled in the strong arms of Mr. Poster Boy of Tall Dark and Handsome; it was wonderful, it was comfortable, it was everything Kartein had allowed himself to dream of from a romantic partner, and it was absolutely hindering his ability to heal Kayden.

It was just so difficult to not relax in Kayden's arms. He was so warm, so safe, so comforting, and Kartein was so, so terribly exhausted. More nights than not, instead of healing Kayden like he was supposed to do, like he wanted to do, Kartein found himself lulled to sleep by steady breaths and a strong heartbeat. Oh, what a sweet torture it was to be Kayden's bedmate. Did the man know what he was doing to Kartein? Was this some sort of long-planned revenge? A way of tormenting Kartein in the cruellest way possible? Kartein dreaded the day that Kayden turned around and laughed in his face, gleeful and ready to throw every sign of human weakness back at Kartein's feet. Still, like any bad habit, Kartein couldn't help but to indulge.

The healing went slower after that, with the tradeoff that Kartein didn't feel like death in a finely tailored Armani suit. Not that he was operating at peak performance, even if they were less frequent, he spent far too many all-nighters expending as much of his energy as possible to heal Kayden.

The final month of Kartein's genius plan passed in approximate domestic bliss, and after almost half a year, Kartein had fully healed Kayden.

Kartein did not want to think about what a fully healed Kayden meant for this otherwise comfortable situation. He wasn't going to tell the man he'd healed him, of course, even now, Kartein knew Kayden would throw a hissy fit over the mere notion that he'd needed assistance. But that didn't mean Kartein could just continue to keep close either. He had no reason to now, no genuine reason at least. There was, of course, the selfish desire to be near Kayden, borne from reluctant trust and love, but Kartein had no intentions of letting Kayden in on that secret either. Attachment was a weakness, and Kayden allowed himself no weaknesses. Kartein couldn't handle that kind of rejection.

On one pleasant and Kaydenless morning, wherein the aforementioned man had been sent on a grocery run, Kartein informed Jiwoo of his success.

"I thought you might want to know," Kartein started, "that I, Kartein, unrivalled in my immense medical genius, have successfully done what no one else could do and healed your idiot mentor."

Jiwoo practically leapt out of his seat and into Kartein's arms, "Oh! I knew you could do it, Mr. Kartein! You're so incredible!"

Kartein scoffed, lacking in derision but full of affection, "Of course, you knew I could do it. There's no one that I can't heal when I set my mind to it. I'll remind you that even Kayden couldn't heal himself, so who is really the greatest between us, hmm?"

Jiwoo laughed, and even though he knew Kartein no longer cared about being seen as better than Kayden, he acquiesced, "You're the best, Kartein! I bet there's no other awakener who can even try and rival you." spoken with all the sass of a teenager.

And as such life went back to normal.

Except, it really didn't.

Kartein and Kayden still spent much of their time as cats, still bickered, but Kayden never made any attempts to distance himself from Kartein. Moreover, whenever Kartein himself started to drift away, there Kayden was, ready to pout and invade Kartein's personal space and complain about his hermit tendencies. They still curled up together for their afternoon nap, they still laid together when the kids came over to cause their childish ruckus. Kayden still took every opportunity to 'bother' human Kartein as Casein Nitrate, and still coddled and petted Kartein as the cat Curtain. Kayden still climbed into Kartein's bed every night, still held him tight in his sleep, still gave him that concerned look whenever the blond felt under the weather.

It was almost like they were in a real relationship, and no one had bothered to inform Kartein.

Wait.

Wait a goddamn minute.

That was exactly what had happened, wasn't it?

Kartein thought back on it. He had initiated the contact and had sidled up to Kayden like some affectionate tart. He had stopped pushing the other man away and had graciously incorporated him into his daily routine. When they met Jiwoo's principal, Kayden hadn't bothered to correct the assumption that they were together. In fact, he had made it so that there was absolutely no room to assume anything but. They slept in the same bed, for crying out loud!

Kartein took back everything he had previously proclaimed about himself. He was actually the stupidest man alive. Had Jiwoo known? He must've. The little brat must have planned it from the beginning. Kartein couldn't believe it, he had been played, had been set up by a high schooler. Abd it had worked, that clever little Cupid-playing brat.

Kartein felt himself flush with embarrassment and affection. Suddenly, he was very happy that Jiwoo had actually gone to school for once because he was going to do something incredibly stupid.

Filled with determination, love, and maybe just a little bit of spiteful annoyance, Kartein stomped down to the basement.

Kayden sat there as normal and practised his force control. His eyes were closed, as energy coursed through corded muscle. Very suddenly, but not for the first time, Kartein thought that Kayden's lap looked like a very nice place to sit. This time, he chose to act on it.

Putting on his most seductive swagger, Kartein waltzed over to his… whatever it was that Kayden was to him and sat himself down in the megalomaniac's lap. Kayden barely reacted; he simply stopped his force control and opened his eyes, slowly and deliberately so they were half-lidded. Damn, the cocky bastard and his bedroom eyes. And his stupidly sharp jawline. And his awful, not at all attractive mouth which had quirked into a self-satisfied grin.

"So, come here often?" the man teased, smug because it was his natural state of being.

"You know I don't." Kartein hadn't thought about what he'd do at this point, he never imagined he'd get this far.

"Well, you should make it a habit. You've got the best spot in the house, you know." Kayden's hands had wandered from their original meditative position, one felt up Kartein's tapered waist while the other rested gently on his thigh.

"Shut the hell up Kayden, you conceited bastard."

And then, because Kartein knew Kayden couldn't shut up to save his life, he shut the man up himself.

Kayden, of course, was a devastatingly good kisser. Aggressive in that way that Kartein was always too embarrassed to admit he liked, but not too pushy either. Kartein could feel the smug bastard smile against his lips as if he knew this fact and was exceedingly pleased with the notion that Kartein liked kissing him. Teeth nibbled at Kartein's lower lip, first gently, then insistently, and simultaneously Kayden's hand moved up from his waist to his hair. Kartein would be remiss to not let things go further, and, with far less hesitation than was dignified, he opened up. Kayden tasted like ozone and stale coffee, a combination that was not altogether exceedingly pleasant, but was ignorable thanks to the absolutely scintillating way Kayden worked his tongue in Kartein's mouth.

When they broke apart, it was not from lack of breath. They were not inexperienced teenagers who couldn't breathe through their noses, and while it had been a while for Kartein at least, he wasn't that out of practice. Really, Kartein would've been perfectly content to sit and kiss Kayden a little longer, but the big idiot seemed to think talking was a better use for his mouth.

"Hah, I knew you couldn't resist my charms forever. I am, after all, the great Kayden. People have begged to be in the position you are, you know." Of course, Kayden couldn't go five minutes without giving his ego a good stroke.

"Kayden you rat bastard, I swear-" Kartein started with a familiar annoyance.

"Lucky for you," Kayden interrupted as his smile softened into something less teasing and more affectionate, "that you're Kartein. Haven't I said a hundred times over that no one can dream of holding a candle to you?"

Kartein tried his very hardest to not feel flattered, failed, and so responded in the only way he knew how, "I hate you so much, Kayden."

Said man simply grinned and expressed his mutual hatred of Kartein by squeezing his thigh and kissing him senseless.

Kartein knew, in his heart, that they would never put a real label on what they had. If whatever this was even lasted after Jiwoo was strong enough to not need them, for safety's sake they wouldn't be able to publicly be together. Kartein knew that what he and Kayden had would likely forever be unspoken, but he knew that it was built on trust and mutual respect. He knew that he was happy exactly as he was and that he had much more interesting things to focus his attention on. Namely, the very attractive man upon whose lap he was sitting.

Maybe one good thing had come from healing Kayden, after all.