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The only time the Heartsteel dorms seem to be quiet is in the early hours of morning. Luckily for Yone, he's accustomed to those specific hours - every day, he gets up at the same time, tip-toes out of his shared room with Aphelios so as to not wake his roommate up, and heads to the kitchen. There's two aprons hanging - his matching with the one K'Sante got for them as a set, since no one aside from them bothers using it.
Pulling his hair into a hastily gathered bun, he skillfully ties the apron around himself. Goes to the fridge, takes out a few eggs and sausages. They have to go grocery shopping, soon. He wonders who he'll have to persuade to come with him, this time - K'Sante has an event a ways off from home, while Sett and Aphelios have plans for an outing they've been planning for a while. Ezreal, he'll have to see.
He turns on the stove, drizzles a little oil onto the frying pan he's put on it. Thoughtfully cracks open an egg, like he's forgetting something. It's then that his eyes rake over the interconnected lounge, and an occupied sofa.
Squinting, he recognizes a familiar mop of pink hair. The egg sizzles, and he carefully scoops it onto a plate when it's done, turning off the stove momentarily to walk around the counter and over at the sofa in question.
"Kayn?" He calls, softly.
An even more familiar groan graces his ears, muffled. Kayn's arm is covering his face, his body half-falling off, shirt hiked up to his abdomen in an unseemly way. His hair is a mess, and his closed eyes are scrunched up. Lips set in a tight, thin line, pores of sweat glistening against his temple. Is he having a nightmare?
"Kayn," Yone calls again, if a little urgently. His hand comes to rest on his shoulder, shaking him a little.
"Ugh." Kayn shifts so his face is buried all the way behind his arm, as if he's blocking his voice out. Yone scoffs.
He sits down on the floor, on his legs. One hand on his knee, other arm leaning onto the sofa and close to Kayn. He shakes him again.
Kayn finally groans loud enough to wake himself, and then shifts back to his previous position. One eye flicks open, half-lidded in sleep. He looks at Yone mindlessly. "What do you want." It's not a question.
Yone frowns, but shakes it off. "Why are you sleeping here? Is there something wrong?"
"None of your business." He closes his eye again, but he moves a little closer to Yone, where his hand is still on his shoulder. It's a silent request, something that Yone's very much accustomed to with the rest of his band-members, especially Kayn. They've known each other a long time, after all.
His hand shifts to his head, fingers lacing through his shorter-cropped hair. It's not that short, even now, but compared to how Yone's seen him before this, it's different. Kayn lets out a content sigh, and Yone mindlessly runs his hands through his hair and lets his fingers drag.
"Are you sure it's none of my business?" He mumbles. He has to get back to the kitchen, be done with making breakfast for the rest of them before they wake up. He has to take a shower, read his book, check up on the rest, and go grocery shopping. He doesn't have a lot to do, but he still values his time. That's one thing he's learned to do, from his years of aimless wandering. Time waits for no one.
"I'm sure you don't want business with my late-night trysts, Yone."
Yone blinks. His hand pauses, if only for a second before it resumes. Kayn's caught onto it, though, with the way he's tensed under his touch. "I don't believe it to be any of my business, that's for sure." He pauses, and Kayn doesn't say anything. "But still, is there something wrong?"
Kayn opens his eyes, again. Both, this time. His right one glows, though unthreatening against the rays of the sun filtering in through their windows, now. He looks at him for a few seconds. Yone's hand in his hair stops, and when he tries to drag it back to rest against his knee like the other Kayn's own shoots out to grab it. Fingers lacing into the other man's, as if the touch is the only thing keeping him grounded.
"You wouldn't like me so much if I say anything, so no." The pads of his fingers are pressing against Yone's palm, and the Producer can almost hear a taunting cackle carry into the wisp of air around them. Yone furrows his brows in confusion. "How about you let me get some shut-eye, and me and Rhaast can help you do the dishes later?"
Yone knows he's doesn't mean it. His fingers cradle his face, and Kayn leans into it like a purring cat. He doesn't know what to make of his words, but he can let them hang around. Marinate a little. He thinks of eggs and sausages and the warm glow of red emanating from the man on the sofa.
The last time Kayn talked about his favorite food was on an interview. It was agreed upon that he'd probably lied the entire way. Something about their image, something about relatability. What Yone remembers is the simplistic answer, and an even more simplistic laugh when he'd been teased about it by Ezreal.
He wonders a little.
When Kayn comes to his senses, the sunlight is in his eyes. He blinks rapidly, a fruitless way to stave the brightness off before he gets up, back and limbs immediately flaring up in uncomfortable pain. He swallows back a hiss, and Rhaast immediately jumps on the occasion. Good morning, sunshine.
Kayn scowls. "Shut up." His legs are throbbing, and his head is throbbing, and there's a sharp sting of pain coming from his neck when he twists his head even a little. You look like shit, by the way.
"I know," Kayn grumbles. He can't fight back, nor does he have the stamina to. He smoothes over his hair with his hands as best as he can, and scrambles in his pockets for his phone to check the time. It's still early - the Heartsteel members usually wake up a lot later on weekends, so he still has time to carefully walk back into his room and pretend like he didn't arrive shit-faced into their shared dorms at three in the morning. He quietly gets up.
"Good morning, Kayn."
He falls back onto the sofa in shock.
When he turns to the direction of the voice, Yone is behind the kitchen countertop, washing his hands and looking at him with a gentle expression. Straight into his eyes. "You too, Rhaast."
Rhaast lets out a little giggle in his head. Kayn looks back nervously. "Morning. Uh, why aren't you…"
"In bed? I think you've forgotten that I wake up earlier than the rest of you." Yone turns off the tap, grabs a bowl and walks over to him. Kayn scoots over to let him sit, and Yone sets it down. Hands him a spoon. Kayn squints.
"Chicken corn soup," Yone offers.
Vaguely, Kayn remembers that variety show a couple weeks back. He turns to Yone, still holding the spoon. "You didn't think it was a joke?"
Yone frowns, as if he's genuinely flabbergasted at this revelation. "No. Was it?"
Something blooms in Kayn's chest. Rhaast gags in the back of his head. His legs are still aching, and his head is throbbing, but the bowl of soup in front of him is warm and Yone's worried expression is somehow warmer. He forgets to respond in lieu of picking up the bowl, and taking a spoonful without a word.
It's warm.
And still, Yone's gaze on him is somehow warmer.
Kayn falls back asleep on Yone's shoulder after finishing his soup, so when the rest of the members wake up and clamber down into the lounge they all stop and stare one by one.
Yone looks back, too, expression blank other than the light flush of his cheeks.
K'Sante cleans up and takes over breakfast duty, thankfully, while Ezreal comes forward.
"Mind if I take a picture?" He winks, and Yone can't help smiling even though he rolls his eyes at him. The green-haired idol grins, taking his phone out. "They're gonna love this one."
"Make sure it's safe, first," Yone reminds him. Ezreal gives him a thumbs-up before sauntering back to where the rest of them are seated around the kitchen table, and then it's K'Sante who comes over with a tray and cup of tea.
"Is he okay?" He looks pointedly at the sleeping Kayn. Yone nods, opening his mouth to let the man plop a small biscuit in his mouth. "Came home late?" Yone nods again. "Did he say anything?" Yone thinks. I don't think you want anything to do with my late-night trysts, Yone. He shakes his head. "Huh."
As soon as he swallows, he says, "He's exhausted."
K'Sante nods. "Should I talk to him?"
Yone hums. "I'd like to try first."
"If there's anyone that can handle it best," K'Sante pops another biscuit into the Producer's mouth. "It's probably you."
Yone thinks about corn soup. About reading books, about grocery shopping. When the rest of them are gone, he nudges Kayn. The man mumbles something into his shoulder, and then presses himself even closer, somehow. Yone feels himself tipping back, leaning against the sofa as Kayn more-or-less falls onto him, eyes half-lidded but slowly focusing, nonetheless.
"Yone," Kayn says, voice a whisper. Drunk off lost sleep, off the pain of sore limbs, off things he does not understand. Yone holds on, quietly. "You're still here."
"Unfortunately." Yone smiles, and Kayn laughs. He buries his face into his chest, Yone's arms hanging awkwardly around him until he comes back up. "Can you come with me?"
"Where?" All of Kayn's attention is on him.
"Grocery shopping."
He blinks, surprised. And then laughs again, for some reason or the other.
He's put on cart-duty as Yone skims through the grocery list they'd made before leaving. "The ramyun brand Ez likes is in the left aisle from here," he tells him. "Can you grab some packets while I get the veggies?" They're both clad in baseball caps, sunglasses and masks, to prevent being recognized in public. It's probably a funny sight.
Kayn crinkles his nose at the sound of vegetables as if he's a teenager, which the producer can see clearer than he'd like to. "Yeah, man." Kayn tries to sound cool. "Take your time." Yone glances around them, and then nods. "Alright. Oh, and Rhaast?" he continues, adorning a voice sweeter than any of them are used to. "I expect you to make sure he does what he's told."
Kayn's red eye glows in speedy agreement. Yone nods again, and then walks ahead, all the while Kayn stands there staring at his back, face flushed fuming red.
Wow.
"Shut up!"
I didn't even say anything, you freak.
Kayn is good at picking up ramyun packets and putting them in a cart, thank you very much. Rhaast laughs and cackles at him until Yone comes back, with a heaping bag of indefinable vegetables to put, as well. He gives the packets a one-over before smiling at Kayn, with all the generosity and humbleness of the world. Rhaast gags in the back of his mind again.
It's easy to be around Yone, like this. His heart is calm, and the ache in his body isn't nasty. Even Rhaast likes his presence, and it's not like his reaper-status and Yone having died at one point come together in some sort of sick harmony, but Yone is the only one he can go to for things like this. Yone is the only one with a demon in his heart other than him, and Yone's hand on his is more liberating than anything else. It calms him, and it calms Rhaast, too, even if it's for a second. Sometimes he thinks he wants him in a way that's probably not for his to take. Would Yone want him?
No better time to test it than now, Rhaast whispers. Bastard.
Sometimes he thinks whether or not he's over his head. But then they're done with their shopping, and Yone has already paid for it, and is already snatching the bag of Ez's ramyun packets out of his hand so he can use his free hand to grab his so they don't get lost on their way back to their borrowed company car. On the way home, Kayn stares at him. It's quiet. Should he ask? He should. Will it ruin their long friendship? Maybe.
Something possesses him. Probably Rhaast.
"You're not gonna ask about….that?"
Yone doesn't feel like the type to feign ignorance. "About what?"
Kayn is nothing if not incredibly forward. "My one-night stands. The sleeping around."
Yone pauses. Kayn can see the tension in his grip on the wheel, even though he doesn't comment on it. "It isn't my place to tell you what to do, Kayn. What do you wish I would say?"
Kayn scoffs. "I don't know. At least be a little mad."
"Why would I be mad?" He thinks, for a second. "Maybe if you were involved in a scandal."
Kayn splutters. "You think so low of me!"
"Do I?" There's a small smile on his face, and Kayn forgets for a second about friendship-altering questions and leans back against his seat, instead.
Coward, Rhaast says.
He immediately sits back up. "Yone, what do you think of me?"
Yone lets out a hum. "Well, there's a lot. You're terribly unkempt, you're louder than necessary, and I find myself wishing a little too often that I wouldn't have to tell you to clean up around yourself every ti-"
If Rhaast had a physical conscience, he'd have laughed so hard he would've somehow fallen out of the car. Kayn stares at him blankly, unsure of whether to interrupt.
"-me I come to check, and-"
"Yone," he interrupts, pleadingly.
"Yes?"
"You're horrible. Has anyone told you you're horrible? Rhaast, isn't he horrible?"
Kayn's red eye glows as Rhaast talks. Delightful, actually.
"Thank you, Rhaast," Yone says, and Kayn can hear the laughter in his voice as he shakes his head, and groans in what could only be agony.
"You're both horrible."
When they're back home, Ezreal is the only one still hanging around. "Hey, lovebirds," he greets, and Yone doesn't even give him a semblance of a reaction while Kayn almost jumps out of his skin. "Did you bring any food for me?"
He's lounging on one of the couches, a Nintendo Switch in his hand. Kayn can't see what he's playing, so he just watches Yone give him the bag of instant noodles they've bought for him and let out a happy noise. Yone sits beside him, and Ezreal immediately clings onto him and falls into his lap with his game.
Kayn's eye twitches. Why is it that it's so hard for him to say anything, and Ezreal can just…be Ezreal?
Oh, you're jealous.
"I'm not!" Kayn near-yells. A beat of silence follows, and then his eyes shoot wide open when he realizes nobody else can, as usual, hear Rhaast.
Yone is staring at him with a concerned expression. Ezreal seems a little spooked, though his eyes travel back to his game immediately.
Quietly, Kayn mutters, "If you don't shut your shit I'll throw you back in the lake you came from."
Rhaast immediately shuts up.
Awkwardly, he walks over to the couch opposite the other two, sitting down with an uncharacteristic calmness. It's only when he takes out his phone does Yone turn his attention back to the green-haired boy sitting on top of him, and from the corner of his eye he can see the Producer's hand in his hair, stroking softly. Ezreal is near-purring, legs kicking rhythmically.
Kayn scowls to himself. It's his own fault for not being forward enough, but he still lets himself be bitter as if he hasn't spent all day either cuddled up next to Yone or out with him. Of course he wants to spend time with the others - and then he realizes that he hasn't felt like this before. At all.
Normally, he prefers to stay away from being touchy-feely, though he can't stop Ezreal, either. Maybe he's brooding to himself a little too much, because he doesn't notice the green-haired band member having had gone off to the kitchen to make snacks until he feels a dip next to him, a hand coming up to his face, turning it and cradling his cheek for only a second before he feels a pair of warm lips envelop his.
His eyes go wide, the sight of red and white strands in front of him making him go rigid, and they stay open even after Yone pulls back, looking at him with a worried expression.
"Did I…misread the situation?" He asks, quietly.
Kayn's jaw is still ajar. His cheeks are probably flaming, and Yone's hand doesn't move from where it is. He's breathing like he's about to drown, which is irrational and crazy and -
"Can you do that again?" He manages.
Yone blinks, as if he's surprised by this too. Is he? Is he? But then he's leaning in again, and this time his lips are more insistent, melding against his as if he's been practicing for this moment and studying Kayn his entire life for it, which is crazy because Kayn has been the one looking at him all this time, isn't he? His own hands travel to his waist, pulling the older man closer to him as they kiss, and Yone pulls himself away for a moment only to breathe.
"Why didn't we do this before?" He mumbles, even when Kayn is irrationally touch-starved all of a sudden and trying to get him to kiss him again by pressing his lips against his face, his jaw, to the corner of his mouth, until Yone is laughing breathily like it tickles and Kayn is near-whimpering at him.
"I don't know, but if you don't kiss me I think I'm going to fucking lose it." And then Yone relents, because of course he does. He wouldn't be himself if he didn't agree to every little thing Kayn asks him to do - hearing the way he half-moans against his lips when Yone's hands travel down to his exposed waist, running his hands over his stomach, grabbing him by the hips to keep him there, and Yone chases after that sound so desperately it's a little crazy.
And then they hear an all-too familiar voice screaming behind them. "Get! A! ROOM!"
"We should apologize to Ezreal."
Kayn nuzzles his face into Yone's chest. "I don't care." They're laying on his bed, blanket covering their legs and arms wrapped around each other and clothes mysteriously off. His limbs are throbbing, again, but he doesn't mind this sort of pain, if he's being a little honest.
A beat of silence.
Yone nervously pipes up again. "Don't you think we should have waited a little before we-"
"Don't care." Kayn says again. And then he speaks again, voice a little meek. "I get what you're saying. But does it feel wrong to you?"
Another beat of silence, before, "No."
Kayn leans up, and Yone leans down for him to press a kiss to his jaw, because that's the furthest he can allow himself to reach right now. "Exactly. Now you don't have to worry about a scandal." He pauses. "Unless I can get you to fuck me in pu-"
"That's enough."
"Fair."
He waits until Kayn falls asleep before climbing off the bed and pulling on his clothes, quietly opening, stepping out, and closing the door behind him. When he turns, the rest of the Heartsteel members are staring right at him.
He immediately turns pink, embarrassment vivid on his expression.
"So," Ezreal starts, a little too happily. "Anything you want to explain to us?"
"It's a little surprising," K'Sante admits to him later, when they're scrubbing dishes after dinner and Yone's fussing about a mark on his wrist that Kayn's bitten into his skin. "Didn't think you were the type."
"Didn't think it myself, either," Yone sighs. "It feels as though I gave in to some sort of impulse."
"Was it?" K'Sante passes over the clean plates, which Yone stacks neatly in the cupboards as they talk. "Just impulse, I mean."
Yone stops, for a second, trying to picture what he's thinking. Kayn, and his one-ended smirk. Kayn, and the soft strands of his hair. Kayn, and the seething, yet comfortable tone he talks to Rhaast with. Kayn and his love of dogs and soups and Kayn who's stayed with him. Eveywhere, almost all the time.
When they'd become HeartSteel, they'd only grown closer. Only leaned into each other's presence more, and it's so convoluted that he doesn't register the fact that he's just standing and staring into space until he feels a hand on his shoulder.
"Not just impulse, then," K'Sante remedies, teasingly. Yone only laughs under his breath.
When Kayn walks into the lounge the next day, he's early. He almost thinks he's earlier than Yone this time, but almost immediately he spots the man in question sitting with a cup of tea and newspaper, reading glasses on and hair tied up in a half-ponytail.
He notices Kayn's presence, too, looking up at him with a squint because his glasses are near-sighted, before his expression relaxes. "Good morning," he says. Like he always does, in normal circumstances. But then he sets his paper down, and stretches out his arms in an obvious invitation.
Kayn curiously comes forward, and realizes that he's trying to remedy his also-obvious jealousy from yesterday. Grumbling only a little and to no one in particular, he climbs over to sit down on his lap, huddling close. Because it's cold out, and nothing more. Yone kisses his forehead, brushing away the hair in his eyes before picking up the paper again, diligent in his reading. It's oddly domestic. He doesn't know how to feel about this - it's uncharacteristically calm.
Rhaast pipes up. I don't know how you're not screaming right now.
Kayn doesn't dignify him with a response. At least for now.
Maybe for a little while.