Thank you 9Moonchild, AlaeMortis101 James Birdsong and Mo for taking the time to review and support this story :) It encourages me to keep going.

Today I have a special treat, a chapter from our favourite grump's point of view.

Chapter 4

What in hell was that? What was wrong with that kid?

In the beginning he had struck him as nothing but an innocent fanboy. Severely lacking social skills, not that Kai fared better in that department, but overall harmless. Now he did not know what to think anymore.

Who did he think he was that he could speak to him like that? Giving him the same old rant his useless father had. Ultimately more concerned about the wasted talent than his lost sanity. Nobody ever asked Kai what he wanted to do. And he was starting to question why. Why was he denied the love and acceptance everyone else was promised?

He had hoped Wyatt was different, that his little crush and might make him see the person underneath the persona. That's what his classmates had assured him. That he cared more about his body than who he was. In an unexpected way, they were right. Wyatt viewed him as nothing but a vessel, Kai longed for the times when he objectified him. If only he could see him like a piece of meat. More like those old guys, whom he occasionally chatted with on the dot com.

At one point he had high hopes for Wyatt. Admittedly, his pride was a little hurt.

Choosing not to let the rejection weigh him down, Kai projected it outwards, towards Wyatt, who looked awfully devastated when he passed by him in the hallway the following day. He could not resist stealing a quick glance, over his shoulder, not out of mean-spirit, more curiosity, and found his victim drooling after him, mouth gaping open.

Their eyes met. Shit. Kai turned his back on him as quickly and dramatically as he could, but he knew he had been caught. Why did the kid have to be so darn attentive?

"Go away, you've done enough damage." He scoffed at him, exhaling deeply to bring out his most mature voice.

"I will, I just..." Now Kai was invested again, he tapped his feet urging Wyatt to get to the point already.

The frail voice found a steady pitch.

"I wanted to know if I could make it up to you."

"No." Kai spoke firmly.

"No?"

"No." He repeated, this time softly.

Wyatt saw this as an in, to pitch – himself.

"You don't want challengers, right? Leave it to me, none of them will come near you again."

Kai snickered. It would have been better to walk away but he could not resist a snarky remark. "Like last time?"

Wyatt shamefully lowered his head, letting his overgrown bangs fall into his eyes. Did his parents ever bother to take him to get a haircut? Or is this what happened when you let a clutz manage his own affairs?

"I won't let you down again, even if I have to take on a threat directly."

"Don't hurt yourself playing with fire, kid."

Patronising him had no effect, this kid was like Teflon, nothing Kai hurled at him stuck, the only time he'd seen his emotions compromised was by his own guilt.

"I'm a lot more capable than people give me credit for." Wyatt assured Kai with such determination, that one could almost fall for it. If one had not seen him fight.

The kid was not the first hopeful to ply for the position of his right-hand man, though he had been the first one gutsy enough to outright declare himself as such. But what he made up for in bollocks, he lacked in skill. Anyone could beat a pack of prep schoolers. Carlos might have been a pain in the ass, but Kai could rely on him to hold the fortress in his absence. Wyatt he could probably rely on to butter his muffin, but he'd be useless in a knife fight.

Yet, there was something charming about his hopeful determination, even if it was little more than a fever dream. To give him credit, he could be convincing. He had convinced Kai to give him another chance, not that he'd ever say so out loud, but he did not need to. Wyatt was remarkably in tune at picking up on his demeanour.

Seemed a bit of a wasted skill.

They sat together at lunch now. It had seemed an inescapable development, so he had more or less accepted it. He never even made a fuss when Wyatt placed an extra fruit cup on his trey, reminding him that he needed the calories. Granted he did not eat it, but Wyatt had looked so gutted when he left the table without finishing it, that from that day on he'd chug it down out of obligation. He didn't do it for him, it's just that objectively, Kai preferred to earn a smile over a scowl. The kid looked so damn blessed every time he accepted his aid, no matter how banal the circumstances.

Kai had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't weird. This was how friends were supposed to treat each other.

Okay. Maybe it was a little weird. He didn't get the impression that Wyatt was satisfied remaining just that. Even if he got disproportionately smiley over a cup of orange slices, there was this yearning for more. Ever present, even Kai could taste it.

At night, he'd lay awake debating with himself what to do about it. At first, his thoughts had been devising strategies to send Wyatt away. But the more he got to know him the harder it was to visualise a scenario in which he did not stay. The more rejection he put him through the stronger his conviction, and one day Kai dared to imagine he would never leave him. Soon after he caught himself reflecting on their latest interaction, not to plot an exit but to indulge its pleasantness. And in the mornings he'd awake, energised, curiously anticipating what might await him that day.

Oh no. Was this...? It couldn't be!

Kai had never experienced a crush, he did not now what to watch out for. He'd never dared to visualise who it would be but he knew what impressed him and that was being cool. This was not how his future was supposed to play out. All it took was someone being nice to him, he couldn't possibly be this much of a sucker? No, this wasn't love. This was nothing more than having a need met, and it felt good, because of course it would. Naturally, he'd feel this hyped about anyone who occupied Wyatt's position. But there wasn't anyone else, only Wyatt who made him more complete.

Occasionally, Kai would wake, invigorated to fight tooth and nail against this reality. Then all spirit left his body when he entered the breakfast hall and spotted Wyatt, in the far back where he'd carved out a section at the end of a long table, just for the two of them. He always rose early, in time to snatch up croissants and brew a strong tea. By now he knew how Kai took it, two sugars and a dash of milk. He always waited for him, never even breaking bread before he got there.

This was usually the moment when Kai questioned why he was fighting it in the first place. In his short but shotty life he had experienced a lot of realities, and this one wasn't so bad. In fact, it was a strong contender for the best.