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Kyle is sitting on his bed with books and papers strewn all around himself, straining to read with the light being so dim in the dark. That's his cue to start packing everything up and get ready for bed. He sighs and starts clearing his bed off, when he hears a soft tapping at his window.
It's embarrassing how it still scares the shit out of him. Every fucking time. He leaves the window open for him and yet it always comes as a surprise.
"Fuck," Kyle jolts at the sound, placing the last book on his desk and tossing his backpack onto his chair. He half expects Mysterion to laugh at him like he does time and time again but hears nothing. When Kyle turns around, he's expecting the silence to be caused by Kenny on the verge of death. He still comes in here to die sometimes, because he likes the comfort and the company, and it also puts Kyle at ease because he has this fear that one day, Kenny just not might come back. And if he's not there when it happens...he doesn't quite know, and he doesn't like to think about it. While he believes Kenny when he says he'll always be back, that lingering fear won't go away. That's his boyfriend, after all. He'd want to be there for him if Kenny met his demise permanently.
Kenny doesn't appear to be mortally wounded, thankfully. He looks like he did get into a scuffle, sporting a split lip and a scrape on his cheek, from what he can tell. His head is bowed enough that he hasn't yet met his eyes, his hands at his sides clenched into tight fists. If Kyle looks hard enough, he can see that they're shaking. Before Kyle can say anything he sees Kenny going to sit on his bed, wringing his hands together. Something is wrong.
"Hey...Ken?" Kyle slowly starts to walk over to him, feeling concern starting to bubble up within him. "Are you alright?" Normally, it'd be a pointless question because Kenny would climb in here with a bullet lodged in his chest and say he's fine, laugh it off and then promptly kick the bucket like it's just another Monday for him. But even though he appears mostly alive today...he's clearly not okay.
Kenny's fingers twitch and it's then that Kyle realizes he doesn't even have his gloves on. His knuckles are bloodied, and that worries Kyle more than it probably should. Why would he be so...self-destructive as to take them off if he's going to fight somebody? Sure, he's a bit reckless at times, but...
Kenny's soft voice cuts through his thoughts. "Hey. Um..." Kyle tries to tilt his head to get a better look at his face but Kenny shakes his head, his eyes screwed shut. He takes in a sharp, shaky breath and it makes Kyle's stomach drop. ”I slipped up." His voice cracks at the end and Kyle steps close enough to rest his hand on Kenny's shoulder. He flinches at the touch before he deflates again. "Kenny, it's okay, what's wrong?"
Kenny opens his mouth to speak again but his voice catches in his throat and he shakes his head again. "Fuck." Kyle settles down beside him on the bed and doesn't push him to speak, even though the tension is making him want to bite his nails off.
"I...There was this fire, last night." That's all Kenny has to say for the rock to immediately settle itself in Kyle's gut. He knew about the fire that took down an entire office building overnight, how long it took for them to get the flames under control. It was all over the news, but Mysterion wasn't anywhere in the headlines.
"It...I wasn't being careful and I fucking died," he scoffs, devoid of any humor. "The building was old as shit and I fell through the damn floor...I don't know how many stories, it doesn't matter." Kyle bites his tongue because it does matter to him, immortal or not, but Kenny's not done. "I woke up this morning, and I...I saw the news." He screws his eyes shut, trying to hold back tears. But when he speaks again, it ends up breaking the dam. "So many people died, Kyle." He gently knocks his head back against the wall, and the tears flow freely. "There were so many people I couldn't get out of there because I wasn't fucking careful," he spits out.
Shit...what the hell could he possibly say right now? He knows that he can't just say everything will be okay, because he knows it's not. Kenny's world has just been shattered. But if Kenny wanted to be alone, he wouldn't be here right now. He wouldn't be seeking out Kyle's comfort if he didn't need somebody to be there for him. His heart aches for him, for the victims that didn't make it. It's a horrible tragedy that he had to witness first-hand. To feel guilt over something like this....he can't imagine what that burden must feel like right now.
Kyle reached over and took one of his hands in his own, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. "It's not your fault," he says, knowing it's a futile effort. But it's an effort he still has to make, for his sake. "I know you went into it trying your best and...and that still makes you a hero. I promise."
"But I wasn't good enough," Kenny sobs out, and the sound rips Kyle's heart in two. "Those people...they had lives. And they got taken away and I should have been able to stop it."
Kyle shifted closer to him and pulled him in, wrapping his arms around him firmly. He hesitates at first before he slumps against him, hiccuping between sobs.
"Kenny, you..." He sighs, bracing himself. Kenny might not like what he has to say, but he has to follow through. "You're the best hero this town has. And even the best hero...can't always save everyone. That...would be an impossible feat for anyone. But you've saved so many up to this point. You've done so much good already, I know you have. You've made our town so much better just by doing what you do, without anyone having asked you to." Kenny doesn't say anything for a while and it makes Kyle's heart clench anxiously before he keeps going. "I saw the news, too." Kenny tenses up but he only tightens his arms around him in response. "There were people on TV saying that it's a miracle they survived. That they don't remember how they were able to get out or who helped them." Kyle pulls back enough to look down at him, and Kenny finally meets eye contact with him for the first time since coming in. It hurts to see him like this. They're still just kids, he shouldn't have to go through this with all of these burdens weighing on him. Self-imposed, sure, but it isn't fair. "That was you, wasn't it? You saved all of those people before you died, didn't you?"
Kenny nods, but he's still not quite able to catch his breath in between sobs just yet. "Y-yeah, but they should have all been saved. It should've been an easy job. I thought I c-could get away with being sloppy with my own life but if it means less people get saved...fuck." He hides back in Kyle's shoulder. "I let all those people down, their families down...and they don't remember that I was there, so they probably think I didn't even show up. That I abandoned them...god, everyone's going to hate me."
His breathing is starting to get a little erratic now, and while Kyle wants him to be able to talk and cry it all out, he can't let him fall too deeply into the pit of self-loathing about it. It will eat him up if he succumbs to it.
Kyle pulls back enough to bring a hand up, finding Kenny's face and trying to brush some of his tears away. It's a bit of an awkward gesture with the mask in the way and his face still being mushed against him, but he hopes the touch is comforting nonetheless. "Nobody is going to hate you, Kenny. If something goes wrong, it is not because you weren't good enough. And anybody with any sense should know that."
Kenny leans into his hand and closes his eyes, letting out a shaky sigh. The fight is slowly starting to leave him, he can tell. The tears are still flowing but he's not heaving anymore."I...I'm so scared. I'm not supposed to fail. That's the whole point. I'm supposed to be the one that gets hurt so nobody else does. But I'm not supposed to die when I'm in the middle of helping people."
Kyle nods, continuing to brush his thumb along his cheek. "And that makes you so brave. Kenny...you're incredible. You're the bravest person I've ever met for doing all of this crazy shit that you do. But you're still human, you're not perfect. No matter how careful you are, things that are out of your control are bound to happen, and it's not your fault."
Kenny nods, gently fiddling with the back of Kyle's shirt. He seems so tired, so worn down now that the adrenaline from crying and whatever he did tonight before coming in here is ebbing away. "I know...I just. I just feel so bad. I wish it had gone differently so bad."
"I know." Kyle presses a kiss to the top of his head through the hood. "I know you did your best. And that you did enough with what you were dealt. I swear." Kenny looks up at him for a long while, his eyes finally starting to soften even though they're still glistening with tears.
"I really don't deserve you," he sighs.
"That's so not true," Kyle huffs as he pulls Kenny into another hug. "I should be saying that. You're the most badass, amazing person I've ever met and nothing is going to change my mind, alright?"
"I'm just...I'm so scared I'm going to let you down, too. I couldn't...if I did..."
Kyle rests his chin on his head. "You won't. I know for a fact that you could never do that."
"How do you know? If things go wrong again, if I keep fucking up...I'm going to keep letting everyone down."
"I'll be by your side no matter what. I know that whatever happens, you mean well and that's what matters to me regardless of what anyone else thinks. Nobody would dare to say anything if they knew what you had to go through to save their asses. So, if people have a problem with the way you do things, they can stuff it."
Kenny pulls back enough to free one of his arms, scrubbing at his tears with his palm. "Fuck...I love you so much, dude. You have no idea."
Kyle tries to ignore how his heartbeat quickens at hearing him him say that to him for the first time, under these circumstances no less. But it doesn't come as a surprise, not after everything they've been through together. Even though Kyle doesn't actually go on missions with him or anything, because Kenny works alone now and doesn't want to put him in any danger, they're still a team. An unbeatable duo.
"I...I love you, too, Kenny. Nothing's gonna change that," he reassures him again, taking his hand in his own and giving it a small squeeze.
Kenny blinks as he seems to realize what's been said between them, his face already flushed from crying now going hot for a different reason. He looks away, clearing his throat. "Ah...really?"
"Of course." Kyle kisses one of his cheeks, avoiding the scrapes and bruises he can see starting to blossom there, before moving to get up. He goes to rummage through his drawers, trying to find spare clothes for him. They might be a little big because of their height difference, but it's better than them being too small, he supposes.
"Here." He hands him a spare pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, the tears seeming to have come to a complete stop by now. "You're staying over. I'm gonna go get some stuff while you change, okay?"
Kenny nods, starting to kick his boots off and pushing his hood down. "Yeah...thank you. I'm really lucky to have you, you know." Kyle smiles and closes his bedroom window. "I'd argue that dating the town hero makes me the luckiest." Since they became official, they just can't stop trying to one up each other when it comes to being sappy.
"Be right back." He peeks out into the hallway before closing his bedroom door behind him. He rummages through the bathroom first before heading down to the kitchen. He gives the door a little knock when he comes back and lets himself in when Kenny says, "yeah."
God, he looks so tired. He really just is another kid underneath it all, just trying to get by in his own way. Kyle hands him a glass of water with some painkillers in case he had a headache or any other pain, and begins to rummage through the travel first aid kit he found deep in the cabinets under his bathroom sink. He's been in worse shape before, for sure. But worse shape means he's going to die and come back healed, and since that's not happening right now, he needs to treat his injuries.
Kenny downs the water and pills in an instant and Kyle sets the glass aside once he finds what he's looking for. He sets to work cleaning the wounds on his cheek (up close he can see there are multiple) and Kenny closes his eyes, barely even flinching as Kyle makes sure nothing is bleeding and that they're all nice and sanitized. He takes one of Kenny's hands and dabs at his knuckles, humming. "I'm assuming you got in a fight tonight. Wanna tell me why you used your bare hands to knock someone's lights out?"
Kenny shrugs, looking sheepish. "I was angry. And I really wanted to feel that asshole's nose crunch under my knuckles."
Kyle bites the inside of his cheek. "Was this before or after they punched your nose in?" He would get around to cleaning that in a sec.
The tiniest of laughs escapes from Kenny and it's a godsend to hear after the night they've had. "Totally after. Had to give him a taste of his own medicine. Fucking creep."
Kyle chuckles and cleans up the dried blood under his nostrils, following it up with the cut on the actual bridge of his nose. This probably isn't the time to scold him to be more careful. Though he is tempted to scold him for taking out his anger in such a self-destructive way. Maybe another time, when he's in a better headspace.
"Do you have any other cuts or anything that need cleaning up?" Kenny shakes his head, the smallest of smiles on his face. "Nah. You're doing too much, y'know. I'll probably end up dying before they heal on their own anyways." His smile falls as quickly as it came and Kyle doesn't need him to explain why that is again. He still feels guilty that he's the one alive tonight. That he'll always come back and be healed.
"Well, I still don't want them to get infected or anything the meantime," Kyle shrugs, moving to pack everything back up and set it aside. When he turns back to Kenny he's looking back at him like he has so much to say. He knows he has so much going on in his mind right now. But Kenny doesn't say anything. Kyle simply feels Kenny's hands coming up to cradle his face before he kisses him, letting out a sigh. Like Kenny can finally breathe for the first time since coming in here. Okay, well, if the cut on Kenny's lip gets infected then it's worth it.
Kenny keeps his face in his hands as he pulls back to look at him and Kyle hates the way he knows Kenny can feel how hot his face is getting. He curses himself for being so weak in the knees for him.
"Thanks...for everything," Kenny mutters, his eyes flickering between Kyle's. "I don't know what I'd do without you, seriously. I've never felt so...not alone."
Kyle smiles at him and takes his hands in his own, linking their fingers together. "You don't have to anymore, okay? I promise. C'mon." He pulls Kenny to his feet so he could start tugging the sheets back. He gets in first so he could let Kenny have the edge if he needed to leave at any point, but he doesn't seem to have any plans of doing that for once. Kenny joins him and immediately clings onto him before Kyle can even pull the sheets back up, tucking his face into his neck. Kyle keeps him close and rubs his back like he did before. "Let's try and get some sleep, okay? Do you have work tomorrow?"
Kenny groans. "Ugh, don't remind me."
Kyle chuckles at that and finds himself nuzzling his face in his hair. "My bad."
They both fall silent for a while and Kyle feels like he can doze off before Kenny's soft voice chimes up and grabs his attention again. "Y'know...I'm supposed to be the only hero here. Guess I'm wrong cuz you seem to keep saving me." Yeah, he's tired. Tired enough to be saying stuff that damn corny with no shame. Actually, that's just how he is normally, and Kyle's not sure that makes it any less embarrassing to hear.
"Oh hush. You need to rest."
"No, I mean it. I'd be a total mess without you. I probably wouldn't have kept this up for as long as I have without your help." He's still going to be agonizing over this for a while, for sure. This isn't going to magically get easier overnight. He's still going to be scared, but knowing that Kyle will be there for him helps to ease a bit of the burden from his shoulders. Even if it's just a little.
"Yeah...me too. Seriously." He's become one of the most important people to him, so admirable and someone he can look up to. They're going to be there to pick each other back up whenever the world throws shit at them no matter what.
"Mmm." Kenny's starting to fully relax into him now, surely about to conk out anytime. He leans into Kyle like he depends on it, relishing in the way that at least he's alive, that he's here holding him and breathing and isn't going anywhere. "Love you, Kyle."
"I love you, too," Kyle yawns out, pulling the sheets up over themselves. Kenny hums and it doesn't take long for him to fall asleep. Kyle will follow suit soon enough but not before he feels tears finally starting to prick at his own eyes. He hadn't allowed himself to cry earlier, prioritizing Kenny's feelings first, though he's not going to act like he was unaffected about it. But he'll be fine. He has to be strong for him.
In their own ways, they can be each other's heroes.