Thank you to Alae Mortis101 and 9Moonchild for your reviews :) Glad to hear you are also enjoying this oddball pairing. I can't get over the fact that an entire arc of V-Force is dedicated to emotionally-repressed Kai accepting he has a soft spot for our dear Wyatt. It's just too cute.

Chapter 3

Kai sniffed the air, not that he expected to smell that guy, he would hear him before that. Short of some rapids far up ahead, the river was serene. It's surface like glass, clear enough to spot any on-comer's reflection. But there was no one. For now, he heard nothing else but the chirping of birds, and that kid's occasional whimpering.

Wyatt sat cowering between crates like a lump of pity. He flinched as Kai approached, trembling with every subsequent step. Then, in an act going against all self-preservation, leaned into him.

Kai had every right to do what he wanted to do, and Wyatt would accept his reaction with dignity.

"I'm not going to hit you."

Wyatt had to blink twice. He had not imagined it.

"Don't look so surprised." Kai groaned, turning away, hiding that precious vulnerability. Wyatt twisted his neck to catch a glimpse of it.

"I can take it." He was sounding stupidly proud for saying something so degrading.

Kai looked down at him, face puckered with disgust. "Have some self-respect."

"I understand why you'd want to. I ruined everything. I wanted to warn you about this guy but instead I put him on your trail."

Kai glared at him for a moment then, with a voice so chilling that it could freeze ice twice over, finally said: "I hold no ill will towards you."

Wyatt was unsure how to respond to such a thoroughly mixed message.

Seems he waited too long, Kai simply walked off. Quick on his feet, he trickled after him. With Kai's approval this time. Or so he thought. It was all a little confusing, but he was willing take the gamble. He was a man of few words, but he had yet to send him away.

"You're not mad?"

"Not at you." Kai stated objectively.

"Has the guy been bothering you for long? Do you know who he is?"

He received no reply, simply the impression that Kai had picked up pace. Whether he had allowed him to catch up earlier or was now trying to get away was unclear.

"I can help you with that." Wyatt suggested eagerly.

Kai raised a brow. How? Truth be told Wyatt did not have a plan. Yet. But that was alright. The one thing he was not lacking any of was spirit. He was happy and willing to do whatever it took to assist him. Or clean up his mess at least. Waking up this morning, his goal had been to connect with Kai, it had since shifted to getting on neutral footing. At least that. The universe had gifted him what he never dared to dream: the chance to connect with his favourite person. Only to muck it up and end up in his bad books.

Kai was peeved with him; he could sense that much. Yet he had not explicitly told him. Wyatt did not understand why he was given such leeway. Maybe Kai was a lot more easy-going than people gave him credit for? What if he just had a resting bitch face.

Wyatt chuckled gleefully, earning him another look. "Sorry. I'm just excited."

If he wasn't mistaken, the bitchface had softened. "I'm not that interesting."

"You're the only guy in school to hold a world champion title." Wyatt protested. Then added affectionately: "And you're humble."

Kai merely absorbed the information, choosing to neither comment nor react to it. They soon evolved their own pace and kept a comfortable silence alongside each other. There was something tranquil about it, making it feel more meaningful than it should. As though they were doing more than merely walking side by side. Kai's shoulders were slouched in indifference, his hand whipping with every step he took, Wyatt's eyes were glued on it. Suddenly he felt an overwhelming urge to touch it. He had never been good at keeping his hands off things. His soft-natured nanny would lose her nerves at the candy store with him. At some point Wyatt had figured out that she had to buy whatever he groped, and thereon out shown little restraint.

This time around, the treat was Kai. His hand was milky pale, looking awfully delicate ungloved. The skin looked soft for an athlete. If he would feel any calluses? He brushed his thumbs against the palm, just gently, so gently that one could hardly tell. But Kai did.

He broke pace instantly.

Wyatt berated himself. Stupid, stupid! What was that? What was he thinking?

Kai did not seem angry about it, more puzzled. In a desperate attempt to save face, Wyatt traced the outline of the palm as though examining it.

Sweat trickled down into his lashes, making it hard to see clearly. He was holding his breath. So far so good, he had not been told to fuck off yet but that in itself was seriously starting to throw him off. Seemed curiosity had gotten the better of Kai and he wanted to see where this was going. Wyatt wished he knew.

Massaging the knuckles as though he had some medical background, he felt the hardened skin under his thumbs. The scarring however, looked old.

"I've got rougher hands than you do." He remarked with a biting sadness.

Kai flicked his wrist and snatched it out of his grip.

Shit. Had it been the nonconsensual touching or overreach into his private life? None of that had been the right thing to do. Once again, Wyatt found himself running after him.

He just wanted to clear this up. Get to net neutral, then he'd leave him alone.

"I'm sorry, that was inappropriate."

Kai escalated his speed. He caught up to the broken signage, down by the ramen shop, and would soon turn a corner, down an alley that Wyatt knew forked off to different backyards. This time he was trying to get away. Turns out he was rather clear in his signalling when he wanted to be. This was useful Kai trivia to know.

He just had to make him understand.

"I'm just upset you're throwing it all away. You're so talented, it was seeing you that inspired me."

Kai came to a complete stop, panting, he had his back turned to him so Wyatt could not see his face until he snapped at him with unexpected viciousness.

"You know nothing about my life."

Until now, interacting with Kai had been much like playing with an old dog. Even if he told him to stay away, his overall demeanour had welcomed him. Nothing like that now. The dog had flashed its teeth.