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Kit had just managed to make Mina fall asleep in his arms when Ty found him in the armory.
“Kit?” He called from the hallway, opening the door right after.
“Oh,” he said, his voice low and gentle. “Sorry. Tessa just asked me to tell you the meeting’s going to run late. It’ll be another half an hour.”
“It’s okay,” Kit replied, a bit tense. “Thanks for letting me know.”
Returning to the LA institute, even just so his parents could attend the council meeting regarding Janus, was an overwhelming experience. Having Mina to take care of was a welcomed distraction, but now that she had given in to tiredness and fallen asleep, Kit had decided to hide away in the armory to avoid any unpleasant memories.
That was until Ty walked in, of course.
Things between them weren’t as dire as they had once been, but they were far from perfect, too. Their conversations were scarce and undercut by resentment, which Kit just couldn’t take anymore.
When Ty turned around to leave, Kit spoke up, stopping him in his tracks.
“I think I understand it now,” Kit told him, “why you did what you did to bring Livvy back.”
Ty froze. It took him a moment to turn around and recognize Kit was addressing him.
He took a deep breath and walked closer to Kit—a clear sign he was listening.
Kit swallowed dryly. The memory of that night was still vivid in his mind, as if it happened just yesterday.
Ty’s pain. Kit’s confession. Ty’s rejection. The fight. The awful things they said to each other… It was all engraved in Kit’s brain for the rest of his life.
Still, he desperately wanted to mend the gap between them. He was tired of being scared, and with Mina drooling on his shirt and reminding him of the miracles life could offer, he found it hard to hold on to his grudges.
“I didn’t have a sister before, Ty.” He explained, tucking Mina closer to his chest. Kit ran his fingers through her hair, softly soothing the sleeping girl. “But now? By the Angel, the things I would do to keep Mina safe… They scare me sometimes.”
Mina curled herself against the warmth of Kit’s body, relaxed in his hold. Ty just stared at him in clear shock.
Kit lowered his voice, careful not to disturb her when he said, “I know it’s too late for me to say it, but I just wanted you to know. I don’t hold it against you.”
Ty said nothing for a moment, just fixed his eyes on Kit’s arms around Mina’s sleeping form for a long minute.
Then, he nodded.
Just once. So subtly that Kit might have missed it if he had looked away from Ty for even a second.
It wasn’t forgiveness, not for any of them, but it was something. Acceptance and respect and some sort of understanding.
Kit clung on to that, even as Ty mumbled that he would let him and Mina alone, turning around once again.
He watched Ty leave him again, but, this time, there was a stubborn thread of hope burning inside him, telling him this wouldn’t be the last time they found each other.