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And Kota crumbles right at Kenny's feet, and there was a time where Kenny would get down and pick him back up and beat the snot out of whoever hurt HIS guy, but that was years ago and why is he still feeling like this? So he steps back and chews on his lip, and doesn't look up until AJ is peering at him with those eyes of fire that dare him to just try and help. And he can't. He can't, and he walks away with his head down because what the fuck else is he supposed to do?
Why did AJ even bring him out here?! (he knows why.)
But he still prays. Fuck, Kota better kick his fucking face off for doing this to him. He finds himself glaring at AJ when he's not looking, but he knows AJ can feel it.
Does he run to AJ when he's down? Does he leave it? Let him be his own man?
"I don't need your help Omega, not now, not ever. This is my match."
His blood boils when he hears Kota screaming. Kota, who's never afraid to let people know that he's hurting, but the same Kota who will decapitate you with that same leg you were just crushing- because what's pain if you can't put others through it, too? It deserves to be felt. Because Kota's limping after a grating focalisation against his calf, but he's still fighting because that’s who he is- Kenny digs his nails into his palms and looks away again, grits his teeth because fuck his person is AJ, his person is AJ, his person is AJ Styles, how many times does he need to repeat it before it sinks in?!
Is- is AJ's foot outside the rope a message? He's blocking a suplex, blocks again, and is he supposed to grab it? Is he? There's no answer anywhere around him, nothing, and then suddenly AJ is twisting their bodies and throwing Kota neck first against the turnbuckle padding. Okay, good, don't grab the leg, let AJ do his thing.
A springboard DDT, a count that reaches two and a half, and then AJ is looking at him holding up three fingers like he won, and all Kenny can do is raise his shoulders and look bewildered because Kota kicked out. Kota kicked out, and he keeps kicking out, and how the hell is he going to survive this match if he can't even tell AJ that he hadn't won?
There's a flurry of kicks and hits and jabs, a combination from Kota and then AJ and then Kota and then AJ, and he's gaping, he knows he is, but fuck, the flying forearm, and- not the Styles Clash, but a Styles Buster and thank god he kicks out after that.
But now... now AJ is just toying with him. AJ’s pointing the faux gun at Kota and looking right at him, and Kenny doesn't look away. AJ will win. AJ was always going to win.
And then Kota stumbles right in front of him. Right in front of his face, slick thighs and stomach and sweaty hair, panting breath, and Kenny's mouth slacks a bit, his heart beating faster than it had in months. And for the first time in months, Kota looks at him. Right after a sit out powerbomb, Kota finally locks his eyes onto Kenny's, and Kenny knows he's been avoiding direct eye contact, he knows that Kota could go the rest of his life without looking at him, but he looks anyway. The lump in Kenny's throat dips, then raises back.
For the rest of the match, or what was left of it, his heart is in his mouth. He tries to keep his face as stoic as possible, but honestly... who knows. AJ could have seen anything. He'd probably seen everything.
And he does something that will have Kota hating him for the rest of his life- he climbs onto that apron and stares right at the Japanese wrestler until he's looking back; he's being the distraction that Kota knew he would be, that AJ needs him to be, and then he realises what he's doing and climbs back down. He’s just cost Kota the match.
It doesn't matter. AJ’s recovered, hit him with the Styles Clash before Kenny can even do anything.
Panic bubbles up in his throat for a long second before he manages to contain it, places his hands on his waist, nods his head because he's Bullet Club, this is what they do, this is who he is. He wants to cry. He wants to laugh. He applauds AJ. There are arms around him, but Kenny doesn't care who it is— and then there's an arm slamming against his back, more people challenging AJ, and he's happy he's out of that ring. But... his name... they're saying that he can't always be there to save AJ, and they're right. Not that he'll ever tell AJ that.
No one notices him slinking off into the corners after that.