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Kenta’s always known his place in the world. Tony has raised them all to mould into a perfect hierarchy, to never question their position. The top, the elite, are the special alphas. Those that defeat time and gravity, those that are above basic humanity. The normal alphas are second, despite having no powers they stand above the special omegas, simply for being alphas. The bottom are normal omegas. Those like Kenta.
Kenta knows no life other than the bottom, than submitting to people above him and to follow their every demand. His own opinion doesn’t matter, it never has. His only purpose in life is to please alphas. Alphas like Kim who is driving the both of them to Alan’s house.
Kenta’s only met a couple people of the X-hunter pack so far, yet he knows that he had acted out of line every single time. He doesn’t know how his arrival is going to be received but he is determined to make up for his prior missteps. Those people are important to Kim and Kim is important to him, therefore he shall do his utmost to gain their approval. Kim kindly enough filled him in on the position everyone has, at least he prepared that way.
Alan is the pack alpha. He is a normal alpha but as the leader of the pack is above them all. His partner Jeff is the pack omega, a special omega but as pack omega only beneath the pack alpha. Babe, Charlie, and Way are special alphas, therefore next in the hierarchy. They’re followed by Sonic and Kim, two normal alphas, and finally, North, a normal omega, just like Kenta. The entire ride to Alan’s house Kenta repeats the list to himself alongside images he’s been graciously shown. He supposes Kim doesn’t want him to embarrass the both of them.
The first thing Kenta notices when Kim pulls into the parking lot is just how big the house is. It seems to fit the entire pack just fine and Kenta can’t help but be reminded of the countless times he’s heard Tony be praised as a good pack alpha for providing them with a house they all fit into. That it’s a sign of his devotion and care to work tirelessly and fit them all. Alan must be a really good pack alpha. Kenta wonders if he’s strict like Tony or kind like Kim. He must be in great control of the pack though if the special alphas are not rebelling against him and contently stand below their pack alpha.
When they enter the house, Kenta half half-hidden behind Kim despite his taller frame, no one pays them any mind. Kim quietly points out each individual person and supplies Kenta with their names which he is grateful for despite having memorized them already. And then, the feared moment arrives. Alan walks down the stairs and comes to a halt before him.
He doesn’t know what he expected, but the man is barely taller than him, wears laid-back clothes, and has a gentle smile on his face. Yet, Kenta knows not to fall for the first impression of anyone. “Hello, Kenta”, Alan speaks softly, a certain kindness in his voice. “Welcome to our home.”
Upon being acknowledged, Kenta straightens his back, lowers his gaze, and, to the shock of everyone, bears his neck to Alan in submission. “Thank you for allowing me in your home, pack alpha. I promise I mean no harm.” The greeting is standard to Kenta, he is used to nothing else yet everyone else seems to be at different levels of uncomfortable with his behaviour. Which is pretty much the opposite of what Kenta hoped to come from this day. He wrecks his brain trying to figure out where he went wrong. Did he speak too soon? Did he speak too late? Was he not supposed to speak at all? Was his posture lacking?
His thoughts get interrupted by a gentle hand redirecting his face. Immediately, he recognizes Jeff in front of him and his mind goes into another state of panic. He can't remember what he's been taught. He can't remember the right course of action. You should never displease a pack omega, Tony's voice reprimands him in his mind, especially not you for you are nothing but a lousy omega. Pack omega will at least have special abilities. Truly, Kenta, what do you have?
Therefore, Kenta does the first thing he can think of. He sinks to the ground. Bearing his neck might not have been enough for the pack and there's nothing more submissive that he can think of than kneeling for someone. Tony has made him kneel countless times, he knows the drill by now. He's used to the slight ache in his knees that settles in after an hour. He's used to difficulties holding his back straight without support after a prolonged amount of time. He's used to the humiliation of it all, has found peace in it.
Jeff immediately follows him to the ground, they're kneeling across each other and it's wrong, wrong, wrong. Everything about it is so terribly wrong. No pack omega should ever kneel for anyone other than their mated alpha. They stand above all the others. No special omega should ever kneel for a normal omega. No one should ever kneel for Kenta.
“It's okay”, Jeff murmurs, “You're okay.” Kenta is frozen in his place, he can't get himself to move but neither does Jeff. “You don't have to do any of that. Not here.” Kenta vaguely recalls that Jeff also grew up raised by Tony. Shouldn't he know that he does have to do that? Shouldn't he know that there's no other place for Kenta than under the other pack members?
“Look at North”, Jeff directs him and what can Kenta do other than obey? It's all he knows after all. “Tell me what you see.” His eyes wander over to the omega and he needs a few seconds to process the scene. “He's sitting on the sofa”, Kenta finally settles. “Good. Do you know that North is also an omega?” This time, Kenta only nods in reply to Jeff's question. It doesn't make any sense to him. Why would an omega be allowed to just lounge around like that? In the presence of the pack omega no less? On equal footing as alphas around him?
“And it’s perfectly alright. He’s allowed to do that and so are you.” Frantically, Kenta’s mind searches for the trap. There’s bound to be a catch somewhere. Do they want to test how well he obeys commands despite them going against the rules? Do they want him to know himself in false safety? Do they want him to lower his guard and pick apart his weaknesses? Kenta doesn’t know what’s expected of him and it’s the worst punishment anyone could ever give him. It’s not like he deserves anything better. Clearly, he made a mistake and deserves to be punished accordingly, even if he’s not quite certain what the mistake was.
“Will you get up for me?” Jeff asks, yet it sounds more like a command. Kenta nods quickly and scrambles to follow the request. He lifts himself up and tries his very best to hide the small tremble in his legs from shifting his position so suddenly. Tony had always punished him for that sign of weakness and he does not want to be punished even more, the current situation is bad enough.
Not to mention Kim, who watches the entire situation keenly. He must be terribly disappointed in him. All he wanted was to present Kenta to his pack and Kenta had to go and screw it up in every way possible. His best behaviour clearly still isn’t enough. He needs to do better if he wants to keep his place by Kim’s side. He can not and will not lose someone he cares about so much again.
Once Jeff has coaxed him to sit onto a chair, he nods at Kim who immediately rushes to the two. His mate gently takes Kenta’s hand in his own and squeezes it softly. All Kenta can focus on is his soft touch and the hardness of the chair. It’s nice. If Jeff made him sit on the soft couch, Kenta wouldn’t have known how to act. He doesn’t know how to handle soft furniture or comfortable surroundings. Even just accepting Kim’s soft bed sheets had taken him almost two weeks. Hard, cold, and sturdy furniture is all he’s used to, all he knows how to navigate. He can do a hard chair just fine. It’s miles better than the hard ground Tony would make him kneel on when he messed up.
Kim doesn’t say anything, simply holds Kenta’s hand and tries his best to silently direct Kenta’s attention to his face. He knows one more sensation would make Kenta shut down fully so he simply lets him take comfort in whatever form he can from his body and desperately hopes it’s enough.
Eventually, Kenta feels too drawn by the heat of Kim’s body and without any doing of his own, he sinks forward and buries his head in Kim’s chest. “There you are”, Kim murmurs and gently cards his free hand through Kenta’s hair, settling at the nape. After a few seconds, Kim shifts his hand slightly and presses his fingertips rhythmically into Kenta’s skin. Kenta can’t help but relish in the ministrations, groaning slightly as his mate works his tense shoulders. In those moments he forgets about everyone else. He forgets about the impending punishment, about the displeased pack members, even about Tony. All he can focus on is Kim’s hand on his skin.
Finally, Kim manages to calm Kenta down enough for the pair to sit next to each other at the kitchen table. Similarly to the people around them, they are quietly conversing among themselves, Kenta welcoming Kim’s distractions gratefully. Growing up Kenta learned to be quiet rather than talkative, he never quite learned how to hold a conversation. But Kim makes it easy. He gracefully picks up Kenta’s thoughts and gives him just the space he needs to express himself comfortably. Kim has Kenta figured out in ways he doesn’t even know himself.
They get interrupted by a mug of tea being placed in front of each of them. Kenta’s eyes curiously follow the arm in front of him up, who interrupts their conversation? The sentiment quickly changes when he locks eyes with Alan. He immediately bows his head and breaks eye contact. “Thank you, pack alpha.” He hasn’t forgotten all his manners yet.
“No need for all that. You can just call me P’Alan, or Uncle, everyone does.” Alan smiles sweetly before he turns back around. “Would you like sugar or honey?” The question takes Kenta off guard. Of course, he knows that people will usually sweeten their drink with either, it was just never a privilege given to an omega like him. What is the right answer to give? Does Alan want him to refuse like an omega should? Or would that be seen as rude? Would Alan be offended if he rejected the offer?
When he doesn’t answer, Alan spins around and sits down in the chair opposite Kenta. “Do you know what the role of a pack alpha contains?” Alan asks him and Kenta nods quickly. If there is one thing he knows it’s how each position in the hierarchy works. “They make sure no one acts out. They are the ones in control of a pack and the one responsible for everyone. They decide everything.” He takes a deep breath. “They decide who needs to be punished and what punishment is appropriate.”
Alan nods and smiles. “You’re mostly right. You forgot one very important aspect, though. We are responsible for our pack, which means we take care of them. No matter what it is they need, we provide it to the best of our abilities. We make sure everyone is happy and comfortable. Formally, the last say might be ours but we are part of the pack just as everyone else. So, let me do my job and take care of you. Honey or sugar?” Kenta gulps, slightly intimidated but eventually replies choosing honey.
Even Kenta has to admit that it is nice to simply sit among people as an equal. Even as others settle around the table, he isn’t asked to move or to give up his tea. No one tells him to get up and get them anything - not that he would’ve known where to look. Not that it would have mattered either way. In the event that he is asked for something in an unfamiliar place, he remembers Tony’s instructions, he is supposed to figure out the location of the required thing as quickly and discreetly as possible. Of course, without snooping as that would be a great offence to the host.
His peaceful moment is interrupted by Jeff clapping his hands loudly. “Don’t you all have places to be?” Groans and other noises of complaint flare up but each person gets up sooner or later. All, except Alan, Kim, and North. The three exchange some quick glances that Kenta doesn’t know how to interpret and then Kim leans close to him. “Are you okay staying with North for a bit? I need to go talk about some race-related stuff to Uncle.” Immediately, Kenta tenses up but nods. Staying alone with one of Kim’s packmates sounds terrifying, but he is in no position to decline. Especially not, when Kim is needed somewhere else. Never would it cross Kenta’s mind to jeopardize his career just because he feels safest in Kim’s proximity.
“I love you”, Kim whispers before pressing a kiss to the top of Kenta’s head and disappearing. Suddenly, it’s just North and him.
The other omega grins brightly at him and Kenta does his best to return it. There’s something infectious about North, about his smile and positive energy. “We’re seriously so lucky Kim races for us”, North tells him and Kenta grins. He doesn’t know much about racing but he does know that his mate is insanely good. Only Babe is better than him. Secretly, Kenta thinks he could beat Babe as well. The omega goes on a small rant to tell him about the amazing qualities of Kim as a racer and Kenta listens attentively. He isn’t expected to speak which is nice, it is something he is familiar with, and he gets to learn all those things about Kim he didn’t consider previously.
North grins sheepishly at him. “I won’t apologize for talking much ‘cause if I do Sonic is somehow going to find out and scold me”, he starts, “but do let me know if it’s too much.” Kenta immediately shakes his head. “I like it. I’ll try to be more responsive if you want me to.” North just shakes his head. “You’re good. Talk as much or as little as you want.” After a pause, he continues. “You know, I think that’s why they wanted me to stay with you. I can fill the silence for both of us. That, and they probably thought you’d feel more comfortable with a fellow omega.” As much as Kenta dislikes being called out like that, he does appreciate the sentiment because it does hold true. Being alone with North is far less scary than he thought.
“Are you hungry?” North asks as he gets up. “I definitely am, I can make something for you as well.” Kenta tilts his head and considers it. He is not exactly hungry but he wouldn’t mind eating something either. He wonders if it’s more rude to refuse North’s offer or to make him do extra work. As if he’s read his mind, North just shakes his head. “I’ll make us both something”, he decides, finality in his voice.
He moves around the kitchen with ease and keeps up light chatter. Secretly, Kenta thinks that he’s never learned as much about racing as at this moment. He files all the information away for later, in his special Kim folder. He himself doesn’t care all that much for cars or racing but Kim does and he cares about everything Kim cares about.
It is probably because he is distracted telling Kenta about a practice race between Kim and Sonic that North drops the bowl he’s holding. Upon colliding with the floor, it shatters immediately. Before he can change his mind, Kenta pushes North away from the shards and kneels next to them. His mind is racing. Hide the evidence before Tony finds out. Protect the child. Don’t let Tony hurt the child. Hide the shards. Don’t let the kid touch anything. Protect the child. Protect the child. Protect the child.
He ignores the way the shards cut into his flesh and draw blood. All he can think of is Tony hurting another child under his care. Someone must have heard the crash, it is only a matter of time until Tony’s men or, heaven forbid, Tony himself turns up to assess the scene. And if he can’t hide the evidence then he at least has to make sure Tony thinks the responsible person is him, Kenta, not the poor child. He can take the punishment after all.
He can hear the heavy steps walking towards them. Weirdly enough, they are quicker than Kenta is used to but he doesn’t think about it too much. He can’t let himself think about it too much. He picks up shard after shard, mindlessly repeating the motion.
“Kenta.” He can’t let himself hear. If he does he will be forced to stop and then Tony will make the child work. He will let the child hurt. Kenta can’t let that happen. “Kenta.” Just a few more shards. He has gathered most of them already, the cuts on his hand are his witnesses. “Kenta. Put the shards down.” It is harder to ignore a direct command but he has gathered all the shards now. He just needs to put them in the trash and-
“Kenta. Put. Them. Down.” There is no way Kenta can ignore that. An alpha has the ability to command everyone with a special voice, the so-called alpha voice. Other alphas struggle to not follow its demands and an omega has no chance at all. Kenta can only watch as all the shards fall from his hands on the ground.
As soon as the pieces splatter around the ground, it is as if Kenta suddenly takes in his surroundings properly again. He is not at Tony’s house. There is no child. The one who dropped the bowl is North. The alpha commanding him isn’t Tony. It’s Alan. Alan, the pack alpha of his mate’s pack. Alan, the alpha whom he wanted to have a good impression of him. Alan, whom he had already disappointed once before. Alan, who is fuming.
Immediately, Kenta adjusts his posture and faces Alan kneeling. “I’m sorry, pack alpha. It was my fault, please, it was mine alone. I will take whatever punishment you see fit. Please, punish me alone.” Kenta begs Alan, hoping that the alpha will accept his pleas and will leave North alone. North only handled the bowl because of Kenta. He wouldn’t have dropped it if it wasn’t for his conversation with Kenta. The fault is Kenta’s alone. Alan simply shakes his head. For some reason, the rejection hurts worse than any physical punishment Alan could give him.
“Are you hurt?” Kenta can’t read the tone of Alan’s voice and it terrifies him. “Not in a way that will interfere with my punishment, pack alpha.” Alan shakes his head again. “I didn’t ask that. Are you hurt?” Kenta begins to tremble slightly. He can handle many things, yet he doesn’t know how to act at that moment. “There are cuts on my hands, pack alpha, it is nothing bad.” He decides it is best to be truthful. If he lied, he doesn’t even want to imagine how mad Alan would get. Tony, at least, always showed when he was angry and when Kenta had disappointed him. Alan doesn’t do anything of that sort and it is incredibly terrifying.
“Good. Thank you for telling me.” Kenta can see how Alan takes a deep breath. “North, go with Kenta in the living room and wrap his hands. I’ll take care of the shards.” Kenta wants to protest but he doesn’t dare to when North wordlessly follows his commands. North drags the two to the living room, just as tasked, and settles Kenta on the couch. “Don’t move”, he says as he goes to fetch a first aid kit.
Before, the entire house had a rather cheery atmosphere. Now, everyone is quiet and the entire mood has shifted to something resembling uncomfortableness. Kenta should feel reassured, it is the kind of home that he’s most familiar with, yet it feels so wrong in the house that he can’t get himself to relax in the pain.
Once North returns, he wraps Kenta’s hands wordlessly. He is careful and gentle, there is no hostility in his actions, yet Kenta can’t feel at ease. Kenta has made a bad situation worse. He doesn’t know how to salvage this, he has screwed up and Alan refuses to punish him. The only way he knows to diffuse a situation is by taking punishments silently and without complaint. He just hopes this won’t have any negative effect on Kim. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if his actions negatively reflected on Kim.
As if Kim heard his thoughts, Kenta can hear the footsteps of his mate. He’d recognize them anywhere, even if they are rushed and angry, like at that moment. “Are you kidding me, Uncle?” Kim is fuming, anger evident in his voice. For as long as Kenta knows him, Kim doesn’t submit to anyone and he doesn’t have to, he is an alpha after all. But he always showcased respect for his pack alpha. Now, his voice is raised and full of anger. “You used alpha voice on him? Seriously? The one thing I asked you not to do?” The fact that Kim is angry for him registers too late for Kenta to be able to stop him. As he tries to get up to save Kim from repercussions, North pulls him back and shakes his head. “Let him.” And Kenta does.
“Everything. Literally everything would’ve been better.” Alan’s response is harder to understand as he isn’t screaming like Kim. “I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t let him hurt himself anymore, Kim.” There’s desperation in his voice and Kenta hates that he once again screwed up in a way he didn’t know he could screw up in. “There was so much blood and he wouldn’t react”, Alan explains himself further. Kenta is not quite sure why he tries to explain, his word as the pack alpha is final and his decisions are not to be questioned.
“You know I never want to see him hurt, Uncle, but it would’ve been better. His physical wounds will heal. I don’t know how he’ll heal from this.” Kim isn’t yelling anymore, yet his words are just as piercing. “How is he supposed to trust you like that?” Not at all. Pack alphas are not to be trusted, Kenta thinks. They are supposed to lead and take responsibility, yet they are never to be trusted. Trust will be abused. They are to be obeyed, never trusted.
“You’re right. I messed up.” Those are words Kenta never expected to hear from a pack alpha, ever. They don’t make mistakes. They correct everyone else's mistakes. They are above them all.
“Done”, North exclaims and effectively pulls Kenta from his thoughts. “Is it too tight?” Kenta simply shakes his head and to his surprise, it truly isn’t. It is just tight enough to compress the wounds without hurting him. “Thank you”, he says because he doesn’t know what else to say.
Kim ends up leading the two of them to a bedroom. It doesn’t seem to be very lived in but it is comfortable and fully furnished. There’s even a soft cover for the bed and more pillows than strictly necessary. Kim gently removes the outer layers of both of their clothes, all while whispering gentle praise and Kenta hates how vulnerable he feels. As much as he enjoys how gentle Kim is with him, he still can’t shake the knowledge that this would’ve meant his end in Tony’s house. He tries his best to remind himself that he isn’t with Tony anymore. He is with Kim and he is safe. Because Kim would never let anyone hurt him.
Once they both are free of their clothes, Kim settles on the bed. He sits with his shoulders on the wall while the majority of his body lies on the bed. He gently pulls Kenta down with him so that his bandaged hands aren’t squeezed. He manoeuvres Kenta into resting his head on Kim’s stomach, his hands rest a bit below his head, and his legs are pressed onto Kim’s legs. His lower body is covered by the blanket and Kim’s hands card through Kenta’s hair.
“What are you thinking, love?” Kim asks into the silence and Kenta buries his face deeper into Kim’s stomach. He doesn’t feel like talking but he answers his mate anyway. “He hasn't punished me yet.” Kim hums approvingly and leans down to kiss Kenta’s hair. “And he won’t. Firstly, punishments are not Uncle’s style. Secondly, you did nothing wrong, baby.” Kenta knows that Kim believes those words, yet he can’t put the same trust in them. “But-”, he starts. “No buts”, Kim interrupts him immediately, “the bowl falling was a total accident. This happens all the time, North is not exactly graceful. It’s fine, really. Uncle isn’t mad, not at North, not at you.”
“Are you sure?” Kenta can’t help but ask. Of course, Kim would never lie to him and he trusts his mate deeply, yet Kenta needs to hear it once more. “Of course”, Kim replies with conviction in his voice, “I am certain. No one is getting punished.” It feels as if Kenta can breathe freely for the first time since they entered the house. If Kim says he’s not getting punished then he isn't. If Kim says the bowl breaking is no big deal then it isn’t. If Kim says he’s safe then he is.
It isn’t often that Kenta feels at ease. Now, being held in Kim’s arms is one of those moments. He is engulfed by both Kim’s arms and his scent. Growing up, scenting has always been looked down on and frowned upon. Now, he has full permission to delight in Kim’s scent, even knows that Kim enjoys it as well. He can’t get himself to lift his head to rub their necks together, he is too comfortable where he is, so he lazily lifts his hand and rubs it over Kim’s scent glands.
He’s not sure how comfortable it is for Kim with the bandages, but his mate doesn’t complain. He only hums content and comfortably while releasing his pheromones as much as possible. Maybe it truly is a sign of the weakness of an omega, yet Kenta can’t get himself to care.
The scent combined with his comfortable position ends up lulling Kenta into sleep. Despite not being at home, at Kim’s home, he sleeps deeply. When he was at Tony’s house, he could never sleep comfortably and the few times he tried to sleep outside of Kim’s guest room and then Kim’s bed, he never managed to fall asleep easily. Not even Kim at his side had helped. Yet, at Alan’s house, he finally finds a second place he can sleep in wrapped in Kim’s arms.
That is, at least until a knock wakes him up. No matter how at ease he feels, his body still hasn’t unlearned any fight or flight reflexes. Waking up at the most quiet interruption is part of the reason why Kenta stayed alive for so long as an omega in Tony’s house.
“Good morning, sleepy head”, Kim greets before calling out to whoever knocked, giving them permission to enter. When Alan shows himself, Kenta immediately tenses and cuddles himself closer to Kim. It is not the respectful thing to do but Kenta is still a bit tired and Kim is warm and he can’t be bothered. “Hey you two, got a minute?” Kim just nods and instead of sitting down on the bed with them, Alan pulls up a chair and sits down. It’s odd, Kenta has half the mind to think that a pack alpha would choose a less comfortable position, but he does find himself grateful to not being forced to move.
“I want to apologize to both of you.” Suddenly, Kenta is wide awake and stares at Alan. That he admitted to a mistake prior to this moment was weird already, but he had been talking to Kim, who, after everything’s said and done, is on the same level in the hierarchy as Alan. But Kenta is so far below him that Alan should blame Kenta for everything. “Especially to you, Kenta. I made a terrible mistake. I should have never used my alpha voice on you.”
“It’s okay”, Kenta mumbles in Kim’s chest. He doesn’t know how to deal with alphas apologizing, so accepting the apology immediately seems like the best bet. “It’s really not”, Alan disagrees, “I had no right. It is not even appropriate to use with my pack and we two just met. I should’ve known better.” He chuckles dryly. “I thought it’s my best option, clearly I have a lot more to learn. Kim and Jeff both yelled at me, you know?” Kenta’s eyes widen, he is so out of his element. Is he supposed to apologize? Is he supposed to thank them? Is he supposed to- “I’m glad they did. I want you to be comfortable, Kenta. I’m sorry I did the opposite of making you feel safe here.”
Kim pulls Kenta tighter on his body as if to showcase their unity to Alan. “This better never happen again”, Kim threatens. Alan immediately nods. “I promise. And Kenta? I promise you one more thing. I will never punish you, or anyone else for that matter. I don’t believe in punishment. I hope that if any problems ever do occur we will be able to talk through them.” Kenta doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to fully believe the pack alpha on that, he is too used to being punished. He is too used to living his life chasing punishment after punishment. But he is inclined to give him that chance. And if it is only for Kim’s relieved smile once Kenta nods.
“I understand, pack alpha.” Alan chuckles lightly and breaks into a smile. “I really hope one day you’ll feel comfortable calling me something else. One thing at a time, alright?” Kenta hates to not excel. He hates that he is still displeasing Alan.
“Jeff says to tell you two that Charlie is cooking and to stay for dinner”, Alan smoothly changes topics before Kenta can protest. “He specifically said to not let you two leave without food.” Alan looks fond in a way Kenta hasn’t seen before. It is evident just how much the alpha loves Jeff. When he talks about others, Alan looks caring and worried. When he talks about Jeff, a small smile forms on his face, and his eyes soften. Kenta wonders if he has tells as well, little things that tell the world how much he loves Kim. He’s split between hating the vulnerability and adoring the thought that everyone can see just how much Kim means to him.
Alan leaves the duo again after Kim promises they will attend dinner. Kenta immediately slumps back against Kim’s body, causing Kim to chuckle. “You’re so cute.” Usually, Kenta would protest. He is many things but cute is not one of them. However, safe in Kim’s embrace, he thinks being cute isn’t all that bad.