They joined up with the rest of the team at the airport that evening and boarded their chartered plane for a three-game roadie. They were playing in Chicago and then Detroit before stopping to play in Colorado on the way home.
The team had been given some basic information about David Smith, especially after police had been called into their gala over the weekend. Some of the guys seemed to want to hover around Kent, but once it was clear that Alexei was already there, Kent was happy to see them back off. Most of them knew that Kent and Alexei had been friends prior to the trade, so no one had ever questioned why the new guy was seatmates with Kent on planes or buses or rooming with him in hotels.
Their flight to Chicago was uneventful and they were still unpacking in their hotel room, readying everything they'd need for an early morning skate, when Alexei's phone rang. Kent half listened as Alexei answered and glanced up when Alexei poked his head into the bathroom where Kent had been unpacking his toothbrush.
"Nick from PR group call. Want me to go make funny video in conference room downstairs with Spoons and Mik."
Kent smiled. "They're going to make you one of the faces of the franchise in no time. You okay with that?" He adjusted the collar of Alexei's shirt and smiled into the kiss Alexei leaned in to give him.
"Aces PR just want to steal Russian charm."
"You know, everyone already looks up to you."
Alexei nodded. "Very tall."
"No, you мудак," Kent nudged his shoulder. "In all seriousness, Javi is going to retire after this season, and I wouldn't be surprised if they gave you his A over the summer."
Alexei's brows rose in surprise. "Really? Still be new guy this summer."
Kent shrugged. "You're also a very experienced, Stanley-cup winning player who has already made a difference on this team. Everyone respects you. And " – he added laughing – "you'll play along with their PR games."
Alexei hummed and cupped Kent's face in one hand. His eyes focused on Kent's lips before rising to Kent's eyes. "Very good year for me no matter what," he murmured. His thumb ran along Kent's jawline while his fingers played with the short hairs at the back of Kent's neck. Kent shivered in response, body already anticipating anything Alexei wanted to do.
He leaned up to kiss Alexei and then groaned when he remembered that not only were they not going to be having sex on roadies, but Alexei was supposed to be leaving right now. Alexei chuckled as if he could read his mind, pressed one more kiss to his mouth, and then turned away to put his shoes back on.
They'd been fed on the plane, and it was late enough on a pre-game night that all the guys should be in their rooms or at least within the hotel. Kent checked today's travel document for their youngest rookie's room number. Sally had seemingly entered his rookie wild streak phase, a little later than expected, to be honest, and had been photographed partying late for the past few weeks. PR hated the photos, but Kent hated that it was beginning to show on the ice.
He pushed his feet into his shoes and slid his room key into his pocket. Sally was only a couple doors down, and Kent wanted to make sure he was in his room like he was supposed to be. Maybe throw in a little pep talk about taking his new professional career a little more seriously. He'd suggested they room Sally with Sams on this trip, mainly because Sams had had his own rookie wild streak phase just last year and he'd turned it around very quickly.
He swung his hotel room door open and was immediately knocked backwards as a shock of pain hit his side. He grunted as he hit the mirror on the wall behind him and heard it crack on impact.
David Smith entered the room and kicked the door shut behind himself before swinging a gun to point at Kent's face. Kent's side burned, but all he could really feel was sheer terror as he stared at the gun.
"Throw that over here," Smith demanded, and Kent gasped as Smith swung the gun back and forth a couple times, pointing it at Kent's hand where he clutched his phone and then towards his own feet. "Give it here, Kent," he repeated slowly when Kent didn't move.
Kent didn't take his eyes off the gun, just shifted the phone in his hand. He didn't see a way to send a text or call for help with that gun pointed at him, even a voice to text would likely get him shot. He slowly dropped his phone to the ground and then nudged it towards the guy with his foot. When Smith bent down to pick it up, Kent lunged and heard Smith grunt as they both hit the ground. Kent swung his elbow towards Smith's face, and heard a crack when it connected, but he didn't know where the gun went. There was a blow to the side of Kent's head that had to have been the gun because Kent didn't know how a guy could hit that hard. Stars flashed behind his eyelids, and he yelped in pain. Smith took the opportunity to pin Kent to the wall next to them.
"I'm not here to hurt you, Kent. Do not make me hurt you. I'm here to – stop – to help you." He grabbed at Kent's swinging fists with the hand that wasn't still holding the gun.
Kent was worried he was seeing double, but he could see that Smith's nose was bleeding. It gave him the boost of energy he needed to keep fighting back. "Get the fuck away from me," Kent growled. He tried to kick out but couldn't get his body to cooperate with the pain radiating through him.
There was an electronic click and then the door behind them was being pushed open by Alexei and Kent felt equal measures of relief to see Alexei and terror as he realized this man had a gun and a hatred for Alexei Mashkov.
Immediately, Alexei's neutral expression turned furious as he saw the scene in front of him. David Smith was bigger than Kent, but not bigger than Alexei, who barreled towards them and bodily threw Smith off Kent and into the opposite entryway wall.
"Alexei!" Kent called out, wanting to warn him about the gun. He scrambled but still couldn't see straight or even push himself to a sitting position.
"Get your hands off me, you giant oaf!" Smith yelped and Kent was really trying to get up and warn Alexei and be helpful dammit, but his vision went dark.
When Kent next opened his eyes, he found himself in a hospital bed and bit back a groan of frustration because – seriously – he was basically pushed to the ground and hit in the head. He's had worse checks in a game and gone on to play the next night.
He pushed the thought away when he caught sight of Alexei sleeping in the chair next to his bed. The relief he felt at seeing Alexei unharmed filled him so quickly he felt slightly shaky with it.
"Xie," he rasped, surprised by the way his throat hurt.
"Kenny."
He turned away from Alexei and was shocked to find Jack in a chair on his other side. "Zimms?"
Jack was on his feet in the next moment, arms wrapped around Kent's shoulders, albeit gently. "Kenny," he repeated into Kent's hair with the way he was half hovered over him.
"I'm good, Zimms," he tried to reassure. He reached his arms up to try to return the hug and felt a sharp tug on his side with the action. He grunted in surprise pain.
"You almost weren't, Kenny."
"Kent," Alexei's voice interrupted the hug and Kent immediately pulled away from Jack so he could reach for Alexei.
Alexei pushed himself out of his chair as quickly as Jack had and he cupped Kent's face with both hands. His thumbs smoothed over Kent's cheeks, almost unconsciously but Kent could feel a tremor in his hands and recognized the relief in Alexei's eyes.
"You're okay?" Kent asked, voice still raspy.
A strangled laugh-noise escaped Alexei. "I'm not the one stabbed, Kent."
Kent's eyes widened and he sucked in a breath. "What? When was I stabbed?"
"When?" Alexei repeated. "Don't remember when?"
Kent shook his head. "I never saw a knife. He had a gun."
"Had both," Alexei said darkly. "It was David Smith call me to get me out of room -"
"Wait, he called you?"
Alexei nodded. "Wasn't real Aces PR guy who called me but Smith pretending to be Aces PR. Guess he thought I'd be gone longer, but no one was downstairs in conference room so I go back to our room."
Kent released his hold on Alexei's hands and pulled his hospital gown away from the side that was beginning to hurt the longer he was awake. His side was covered in bandages, so he couldn't see the damage, but it was enough to tell him that something terrible had indeed happened.
"I was going to go check on the rookie," Kent confessed quietly. "And when I opened the door, he was there."
"And you don't remember being stabbed?" Zimms asked.
"I mean," Kent paused and tried to think about those first few moments. "Something hit me, and I fell back."
"Knife hit you, Kent," Alexei said.
"The hotel's hallway security camera caught him immediately stabbing you," Jack elaborated.
"You've already seen the hotel security footage?"
"Shitty got a hold of it very quickly," Jack confirmed. "You fall back into the room, he goes in the room after you, the door shuts, and then we don't know what happened until Alexei returned to the room and found him in there with you."
"Bleeding, Kent," Alexei said solemnly. He'd sat back down so he wasn't towering over Kent but dragged the chair closer and clutched one of Kent's hands in his own. "So much blood and you were awake when I got there but then out cold and wouldn't answer me."
"I'm sorry," Kent murmured, squeezing Alexei's hand. He can only imagine what Alexei must've felt walking into that scene. "I didn't even know he had a knife," Kent muttered. "I just saw the gun. I thought he was going to shoot you," he said to Alexei.
Alexei shook his head. "I get gun and" – Alexei mimed swinging it – "knock him out. Think he try to do that to you, too."
Alexei's fingers skated over Kent's swollen temple without touching the injury. Kent raised his own hand to feel the damage and Jack grabbed his hand before he could poke at it. Jack sighed and shook his head, released Kent's hand, and then raised his phone screen so Kent could look at his face via Jack's selfie camera screen.
"Ouch," Kent flinched when he saw the injury. "Looks terrible."
"Look alive," Jack stressed.
"That doesn't even make sense," Kent muttered. He returned his gaze to Alexei who was chewing on his lip and still looking worried.
"Had surgery," Alexei sighed.
"Oh," Kent said dumbly as he realized his throat hurt because he'd been intubated at some point. He had surgery experience thanks to injuries before. "When? Like, how long have I been out?"
"All was just last night," Alexei assured. "Ambulance brought you here. Emergency surgery for maybe two hours."
"Thank you for saving me."
"Kent" Alexei stressed, accent stretching his name out to two syllables in the way that Kent loved and using a tone that clearly stated there was no reason for Kent to thank him. He squeezed Kent's hand.
"Поцелуй меня, детка." Kent knew he was probably mangling the pronunciation but by the look on Alexei's face, he figured Alexei knew what he meant. He'd looked up the phrase just the other day but hadn't had a chance to say it out loud yet.
Alexei glanced over at Jack before sending a questioning look back to Kent.
Kent smiled guiltily. "Zimms and I talk a lot. I told him how I felt about you after you first arrived in Vegas."
"You mean after he moved into your house and your bed," Jack said dryly.
"For just TV and sleep," Kent insisted with a teasing grin and Alexei realized that this was definitely a discussion Kent and Jack had had before this. "Now, though, its TV and sleep and -"
"You finish that sentence and I'm leaving," Jack threatened, but Alexei could see the grin he was biting back.
Alexei cupped his hand around Kent's face again to regain his attention and Kent met his gaze with bright green eyes and a smile.
"Поцелуй меня," Kent repeated.
He didn't hesitate again. He leaned in and kissed Kent as requested.
"We'll work on right way to pronounce it later," Alexei murmured with a smile.
"When did you even get here?" Kent asked Jack.
Jack shrugged. He'd left Kent and Alexei alone earlier but had returned literal minutes later. He felt a little guilty interrupting them – he liked the soft way they looked at each other, which had started way before Tater had been traded to Vegas, even if nether had noticed – but he wanted to see Kent awake for a little longer before he had to leave.
"Chartered a plane when Tater called me last night. You were out of surgery by the time I got here. Scared the hell out of us, Kent." Which was a massive understatement. Tater's voice was so shaky when he'd called last night that Jack almost hadn't understood what he was trying to say until he finally picked out Kent's name and the word stabbed. And when Jack had finally landed in Chicago and made it to Kent's room, it had felt like a punch to the chest to see him look so small and pale in the hospital bed.
Kent swallowed hard and continued to play with Alexei's fingers. "I was pretty scared, too," he admitted. "When I realized he was in the room and had a gun. Then I didn't know why I couldn't move the way I wanted to. Stabbed in the side makes sense for that, I guess. But even after all that, I still don't understand what that guy wanted from me."
"Don't think any reason he'd give would make sense," Alexei offered.
"Where is he now?" Kent asked. "Wait, you said you knocked him out? Is he here?" His heart rate was speeding up, and Alexei and Jack could both hear it via the monitor.
"No," Alexei replied vehemently. "He arrested and in jail."
"He had court earlier, but he wasn't granted a bond, so he's staying there," Jack added. "But, uh, this has gotten out already, Kent. Bits has been texting me what he's seeing online. This guy's arrest information is a public record and the press is reporting that you had a Vegas stalker who attacked you here. The extent of your injuries wasn't revealed, but his charges do include attempted murder with a deadly weapon, so there's a lot of rumors."
"They're not going to quit till they get all the details," Kent sighed.
"Also," Alexei added, "Police wanting talk to you. They waiting for you to wake up from surgery. But they already talking to Tonya, so they have backstory and know about Vegas and Providence police reports."
Kent nodded slowly. He shifted in the bed and could feel his eyes closing. "You'll stay?" he asked sleepily.
"Yes, sleep," Alexei responded.
As Kent's breaths evened into sleep, Alexei and Jack both breathed a sigh of relief. They'd been waiting hours for Kent to wake up after the surgery. They probably should've called in the doctor or the police when Kent first woke, but neither regretted taking the time for themselves.
"You saved his life, so I guess I don't need to give you a shovel talk."
Alexei sighed. "Would've preferred shovel talk over him hurt like this."
Jack nodded quietly before saying, "This guy is gonna go away for a long time."
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, just watching Kent breathe, before Jack spoke again. "They scratched you for tonight, since you were involved in the attack, but they're going to make you fly out with the team tomorrow morning, right? Finish the roadie?"
Alexei ran his free hand down his face (Kent still had a hold of his other hand) and nodded. Quinn and the coaches were understanding about him missing the game tonight, but they didn't know about his and Kent's relationship, so they had no reason to let him claim a family issue to miss further games when he hadn't been injured during the attack.
"I thought so. And I have to leave later tonight," Jack nodded in shared frustration. "So, I, uh, called in back-up. I organized a chartered flight for Kent's mom. She'll be here in a couple of hours. She can fly back to Vegas with him as soon as soon as they let him leave here."
"Thank you, Jack."
Jack sent him a small, sad smile in response. "I don't envy you dealing with him once he realizes this has knocked him out for the rest of the season."
"Mean, Zimmboni." But Alexei smiled.
When Kent woke again, his mother was by his side, Jack moved down a chair so she could be close. Her eyes were red like she'd been crying, but she smiled when she hugged him and ran her hands through his hair a few times.
He introduced her to his boyfriend, Alexei, and realized it was the first time he'd used that phrase. He had a brief moment of panic about what Alexei would think, but Alexei's blinding smile and the way he walked around the bed to bodily hug his mother hello told him that Alexei was just fine with the title.
One of his surgeons came in to check on him after that. And then everyone else was shooed out of the room so he could be interviewed by the police.
By the time the Aces began playing the Blackhawks, he was asleep again, but was awoken briefly by Jack, who had to say goodbye and get back to his team.
"You scare me like that again and I'll kill you myself," Zimms murmured into his goodbye hug.
"You murder me, and I'll come back and haunt you," Kent replied. His arms felt weak, but he did his best to squeeze Jack as tightly as he was being squeezed.
"Keep me updated," Jack requested, releasing him so he could give Tater and Kent's mom hugs goodbye as well.
"Get some sleep on the plane, Zimms. You look like shit."
"Shut up, Kenny."
Kent went right back to sleep after but was awoken again close to midnight when the entirety of the Aces team crashed into his hotel room. There were a few nurses trying to quiet them, but they were ignored.
"We couldn't possibly get on a plane in the morning and fly away from here without seeing you," Jeff explained.
"Maybe we facetime next time," Kent chastised, although he was grinning at them.
"Better not be a next time," Miks muttered.
"Can't argue with you there," Kent agreed. He'd tried to get his mom to go sleep in a comfortable hotel bed, but she'd refused to leave his side so soon. He gestured towards the guys and said, "Mom, you probably remember most of the team. Rookies and new guys, this is my mom, Kate. Nice first impression waking her up in the middle of the night."
The team quieted after that, rotating around to say hi to Kent and Tater, who they also hadn't seen.
"The news has been reporting on this nonstop." Spoons plopped himself down on the end of Kent's bed. "Mainly, Chicago wants it known to everyone that this was a Vegas crazy person who attacked the beloved Aces captain and not a Chicago crazy person."
"Yeah, they've got their priorities in order," Jeff lamented.
It was when the team began to pack up that Kent sent a questioning look to Alexei and received a nod in return.
"Hey, guys?" Kent called out.
The team stilled and gave Kent their attention.
"Thanks for coming to see me," Kent began. "I'm sorry this is going to affect the rest of our season."
"Parser," a few of them called out in complaint.
"I know, I know," Kent groaned out a small laugh. "I'm, like, contractually obligated to say it to you."
"What can we throw at him right now?" Dinger asked.
"Probably just boo's," Sams muttered.
"Boo."
"Okay, okay, listen. What I really wanted to say – or share – I guess, is that Alexei and I are dating -"
"Yesssss! Today is my day, bitches!" Spoons whooped.
Kent frowned at Spoons and all the guys complaining about losing. "You did not have a betting pool on this."
"It's like you don't know us at all," Miks chirped, swinging his phone around to Kent so he could see the calendar they'd all shared for the bet.
Kent turned to Alexei and found him smiling as a few guys slapped his shoulders and chirped him.
"Okay, okay, shut up, people are sleeping," Kent called over their noise.
Kent doesn't remember the team leaving, so he's slightly horrified to think about it later and realize he'd probably conked out in front of all of them.
He's awoken the next morning by fingers running through his hair and Alexei's lips pressed to his forehead. He glanced around the room and found it otherwise empty, so his mother must've gone elsewhere.
"Have to leave, Kent," Alexei murmured. "Bus is coming to pick me up and take everyone to plane."
"Hospital pick-up. Fancy. They must like you."
Alexei sat on the edge of his bed and held his hand. He looked sad despite Kent's attempts to lighten the mood.
"Don't want to leave you."
Kent pushed himself more upright than the bed's tilt provided and wrapped his arms around Alexei so he could tuck his face into his neck. The new position hurt his side, but he ignored it. He'd felt safe any time he dozed off here because Alexei was right next to him. He hadn't even tried to suggest that Alexei leave this room to get food or sleep somewhere more comfortable (thankfully others had kept Alexei fed and someone had brought all their luggage from the hotel room after the crime scene had been cleared).
"Pretty selfish of me to want to keep you, but I wish you could stay with me," he let himself murmur.
Alexei nodded against him and rocked him a little as he returned the hug.
"At least you don't have to worry about me."
"Didn't mind worry about you. But, yes, you'll be safe now. Private security is outside room. They fly back with you and stay outside house too until I get home."
"You're kidding."
"Nope," Alexei gave him an unrepentant shrug. "Aces arranged it, but I said was good idea."
"You better hurry home, then."
"Here." Alexei pulled back so he could reach behind him and undo the clasp of his gold chain. "You keep this."
Kent sniffled as Alexei clasped the gold chain around Kent's neck. He was not tearing up because his boyfriend was giving him something personal to wear even though it's something he always thought was romantic in theory and had never happened to him before.
Alexei admired his chain around Kent's neck for a moment before he leaned in to kiss him. "Will miss you, детка."
"Call me when you get to Detroit? And you know, Jeff will room with you, or anyone really, if you don't want to be alone in the hotels."
Alexei smiled as he thought about how Kent was worrying about him as he sat severely injured in a hospital bed. He leaned in and kissed him again, but they were interrupted by his phone ringing. "Bus is here," he murmured against Kent's lips.
"Okay," Kent whispered as Alexei stood and lifted his duffle to his shoulder. "Tell the guys I said to kick ass."
"Promise you tell doctor if you're dizzy, sick, or in pain," Alexei demanded. Kent was still being watched for signs of a concussion thanks to the head trauma.
Kent nodded and watched Alexei leave. His mom rejoined him as soon as Alexei was gone, and he gave her a grateful smile for the private goodbye she afforded them. She sat on the edge of his bed and leaned in to hug him.
"I'm glad you're here," Kent told her.
"So many people care about you, I practically have to get in line."
"No," Kent shook his head.
"It's okay," she smiled. "It's a good thing, Kent."
"Is there really security out in the hallway?"
Kate laughed. "He finally told you? Honey, Quinn sent them before you were even outta surgery."
Kent might've griped about the security, but with Alexei gone, he didn't hate that they were nearby. He facetimes Alexei and Jack and watches the Aces play the Red Wings on the small TV mounted in the corner of his hospital room. The team falls short, but even the commentators seemed to want to give the Aces grace considering their missing captain and recent trauma.
Still, Kent texted the team group chat through the entire game. Helpful and inspirational messages like:
"Next guy whose pass is intercepted is getting a face wash from me as soon as I'm back"
"Jesus, its like you guys can't even see the net tonight"
"Pony does that fake every time! How could you let him pull that shit!"
"I could hear that post ring through the TV"
"Oh my god with the whiffs"
"My mom is threatening to turn off the game because I'm "scaring the other patients". Stop making me yell obscenities at the TV.
"Wow that goal was greasy but I'll take it"
Jeff: I'm going to text your mom and have her hide your phone before the Colorado game
His mom makes a big deal out of the private, chartered plane ride the next day to fly him home to Vegas (private minus the security detail traveling with them).
"Didn't Zimms get you a chartered flight to Chicago?" Kent asked.
"Baby, I was worried sick about you that entire flight. This time I get to sit back, enjoy the champagne, and wait for the attendant to come back with that dessert tray." She smacked his hand away when he reached towards her stash of goodies. "No champagne for you while you're on pain meds."
"I was getting a water," Kent laughed.
"Don't you have your own little shelf of goodies over there?"
"Jesus," Kent whisper laughed.
It wasn't until they were back in his house, and after Kit had been brought back home by the neighbor who always cat-sat for him, that it really hit him that things were not the way they should be. The house felt empty without Alexei's presence. His team was currently checking into their Colorado hotel room without him. And he had a pain in his side that made breathing a little unbearable sometimes. He'd seen the stab wound when the bandages had been changed, and while it wasn't as bad as he'd been expecting (he'd been expecting something gruesome, but his surgeon had left him with a tidy line of stitches) it was still more painful than he wanted to let on to anyone.
He and Alexei had stripped the sheets off his bed before they left, and his mother remade the bed with new sheets from his closet (not sheets made by Russian grannies because Kent didn't know where to find any more of Alexei's sheets and he wasn't going to have his mother dig through Alexei's boxes). So. He had to suffer on his old sheets and without Alexei.
His mother was not a cook, so she ordered food (which was handed to the security team outside to bring in) and the two of them ate in his bed and watched a movie. It was nice because it was his mom, but he still wished it was Alexei with him. And when it came time to go to sleep, she left to go sleep in the other spare bedroom (the one that was not Alexei's closet) which left Kent on his own.
When Alexei returned home nearly two days later, it was pretty clear to him that Kent had not been sleeping well.
"You don't look like you've been sleeping all that well, either." Kent had Alexei in bed, and they lay facing each other, Kent on his uninjured side. He ran both his thumbs gently over the bags under Alexei's eyes.
"I'm not one needs sleep to help recover," Alexei murmured before kissing Kent again.
"Well, I've got you all to myself for the next week. I'll probably be so rested by the end that I'll be ready to hit the ice."
"I have idea for break. Trip for us. Think your mom will be upset to go home already?"
Kent perked up. "A trip?" He hadn't been out of his house again since they'd arrived and the security that sat out there until Alexei returned had made him feel more claustrophobic instead of less.
Kent organized a chartered flight to take his mother back to New York (one with champagne and desserts) and said goodbye to her at the airport before he, Alexei, and Kit boarded their own plane. Alexei still wasn't telling him where they were going during the Aces' break, but Kent didn't really care. He fell asleep against Alexei on the plane with Kit in his lap and woke up only when they landed.
He sat nearby while Alexei got their rental car and eased himself into the front seat while Alexei loaded up their luggage. He smiled as he listened to Alexei sing along to the radio on their drive and watched Kit sprawl herself across the backseat to sun herself. Nearly an hour later, right about when Kent was about to ask if they were in the right place because they'd been driving for a while and all he could see was forest, Alexei turned down a long driveway and came to a stop outside the place he'd rented for them.
"I think – it looks like safe. Up high. Small. Nobody nearby."
Alexei was watching him as Kent's mouth dropped open a little in surprise. "Yeah." Kent tugged on Alexei's shirt to get him to come close enough to kiss. "This is perfect."
"You want this back?" Kent asked that night, tugging lightly on the chain that still hung around his neck. He could only sit upright for short spans of time without his side beginning to burn, but he and Alexei were camped on the couch so they could watch the fire Alexei had built.
Alexei shook his head. Kent sat between his legs so he could lean back against Alexei's chest and Alexei's arms were lightly circled around him. One hand reached up to straighten the gold chain and Kent shivered under his touch.
"Like it better on you. Make you look like mine."
"Am yours," Kent sighed. "Maybe I'll buy you a new one."
Alexei smiled as he kissed his temple.
Thinking about the earlier shiver, Kent tested grinding his ass against Alexei's lap. No sex till he was healed was a bullshit rule, but the grinding movement made his side burn and Alexei was too attuned to him not to notice. He groaned in frustration instead of pleasure. "Can't even move the way I want," Kent muttered in complaint.
Alexei certainly wasn't unaffected by having his boyfriend grind on him. He huffed a sound and grabbed at Kent's hips to still him before he hurt himself even more. "Brat," he whispered fondly.
Kent let himself relax back against Alexei's chest again. He leaned up a little so he could kiss at the underside of Alexei's jaw. "The fact that I'm willing to put up with pain for it is just validation to how good you are in bed. That's not on me."
"I get on you," Alexei grumbled.
"Yes, please. Do that." He kissed at Alexei's jaw before moving down to suck on his neck a little. He was pleased when that earned him a visible shudder from Alexei. "Look at this cute little treehouse and this fire you built for us. We can't let this go to waste."
Alexei hummed in thought. "Doctor say you should rest. Not move too much. You okay with not move?"
"I'm really okay with whatever you're working out in that head of yours right now, yes," Kent grinned up at him.
Alexei shifted his legs so that they overlaid Kent's, trapping Kent's legs beneath his own. Then one arm tightened across Kent's abdomen, nowhere near his wound, and enough to help keep him still.
"Still okay?" Alexei murmured into Kent's hair and felt Kent nod in return and then suck in a breath when Alexei's free hand flicked over a nipple over his shirt. "You tell me if you hurt or want to stop."
Kent nodded again and watched in anticipation as Alexei's hand slid slowly under the waistband of his sweatpants and wasted no time encircling his cock. He began light strokes that had him hardening quickly. Kent let his head fall back on Alexei's' chest again and let the building pleasure roll over him. Kent's first urge to roll his hips came when Alexei's grip tightened, but he was quickly reminded that he couldn't when Alexei's arm and legs tightened their hold around him.
Somehow, realizing he was truly pinned in Alexei's lap made him feel desperately hotter. He fought the urge to arch his back and instead began to mouth at Alexei's neck again as desperate gasping sounds escaped him as Alexei's hand continued to stroke him.
"So good, Kenny," Alexei murmured, head tilted to the side as Kent kissed his neck and eyes closed as his body worked to contain and please Kent.
"Xie," Kent moaned as he felt his release hit him. His entire body went taut, and there was nothing he could do but welcome the pleasure-pain-pull he felt at that moment.
Alexei released Kent from the pin, arms and legs dropping away. Kent couldn't move if he wanted to right now with his jelly limbs. His adjustment, though, meant Kent felt Alexei's own hard cock press into his back.
"If I blow you, I can take care of that without moving the rest of my body."
Alexei growled at him as he used the inside of Kent's briefs to wipe off his hand. He'd get them both into a shower in a few minutes. "Such brat," he repeated the earlier sentiment before adjusting Kent to the side a little so that he could get his hand into his own sweatpants. Kent pouted at him when he realized Alexei was about to take care of himself without him. He pulled Kent in a little to kiss him and said, "Stay here and look pretty, you still very involved."
Kent huffed a laugh and leaned up to kiss him some more. Despite Alexei's weak protests, he did end up with a hand down Alexei's pants to help him finish.
"You know," Kent smirked afterwards, "I like knowing you're going to let me get away with stuff."
"Yes," Alexei panted, "very big pushover for you. Let you get away with hand job. Serious problem."
Kent laughed. His side was still burning a little, but the rest of him felt completely relaxed.
Kent was surprised to wake up in bed alone the next morning but was soon distracted by the delicious smell coming from the kitchen. He pushed himself out of bed and poked his head around the bedroom doorframe.
Alexei was standing at a kitchen counter with his back to Kent. Kit sat nearby and Alexei was murmuring to her in soft Russian. Kent quietly approached him and wrapped his arms around Alexei's waist. He peeked around him and sleepily watched him continue to cut the leafy green tops off strawberries.
"I'm supposed bring you breakfast in bed," Alexei chuckled.
Kent didn't reply, just let himself hug on Alexei and breathe him in. He was forced to let go, though, when a timer rang, and Alexei bent to pull a dish from the oven.
Kent peered at the dish, unsure what it was on sight, looked like maybe an egg-y breakfast casserole.
"Ask Bitty to send me recipe for egg and cheese quiche, but you can say if you don't like. Never made before."
When Kent only stared at him in slight disbelief, Alexei gestured to the dish. "Said you love egg and cheese quiche at gala but never get to eat any."
"I really love you."
Alexei's face lit up before a smirk began to tug at one side of his mouth. "I find treehouse getaway for us and take care of you and all it take is egg and cheese for say I love you?"
Kent couldn't contain his smile if he wanted to. He shrugged. "Guess I'm pretty easy to please."
Alexei scoffed and moved quickly into Kent's space. He cupped his face and admired the way his gray eyes turned green in real time and whispered, "Love you, Kenny," before pressing his mouth to Kent's in a long kiss.
When he heard Kent's stomach growl, he laughed and directed Kent to sit at the small table. "Will have to tell Bitty that he was right. Way to man's heart is through stomach."
Kent chuckled but soon he was moaning in happiness at the first bite and Alexei huffed a laugh when Kent asked, "How do you think Moira says quiche? And also, you know we have to see if we can buy this place now, right?"