Work Text:
People told Kaye to smile. They told him all the time.
That's what he did every morning in front of his bathroom mirror. He tried his best to get rid of his tired face, wearing the welcoming smile everyone seemed to expect from him.
He looked maniac. Sometimes his eyes widened up as they stared back at him through the reflection, other times he forgot to bring up the corner of his lips.
Kaye sighed. He shouldn't care that much, not that night. Phat seemed to like him anyway, even when his hands shook and he struggled to keep eye contact. Even when he stumbled on his words or fidgeted with the hem of his clothes.
Phat had invited him out for dinner.
Was that a date? Was he supposed to dress up?
Kaye had tried on countless of clothes, before he realized how pathetic he was acting. Phat probably didn't care about the clothes Kaye would be wearing. Kaye didn't usually care about clothes either. He slipped on a pair of loose jeans and a black plaid shirt, grabbed his bag and left the house before he could overthink further.
Phat was waiting for him outside the restaurant, his wide shoulders wrapped by a leather jacket. Phat told him it was good to see him and he was glad Kaye had accepted his invite. Kaye smiled, and it didn't feel like the smiles he rehearsed in front of the mirror at home. It felt natural.
Then Phat placed a gentle hand on Kaye's lower back to lead him inside, making a jolt of warmth spread in Kaye's body.
Kaye felt overly excited. It wasn't often someone took interested in him. The only people that seemed to like him were fans of his work and people that could make money out of it.
Kaye sat at their reserved table and ordered his usual. The waitress brought them water while their waited for their meal.
"You came here on foot?" Phat asked.
Kaye nodded. "I don't live far…"
"I was thinking I could give you a lift home. Have you heard the news? It's already late, and this neighborhood gets dangerous at night."
"It's ok. You don't have to."
"But I want to." Phat smiled. Kaye thought that was really caring of him. No one had even taken care of Kaye, or showed signs of concern in his safety.
"If you insist, I could at least let you in for a beer. You know, just for fun. Just a beer. And I could… maybe draw a picture of you? To thank you for the date? I mean, for tonight!" Kaye rambled.
Phat let out a chuckle. "Sounds good, but I'm not supposed to drink. You know, I'm driving."
"Oh. Then you could stay the night! I have an extra bed!" Kaye blurted out, before he even realized.
Kaye wasn't supposed to invite anyone home. He really shouldn't. Not when he had just tried to burn everything that could possibly connect him to Nekros and Mr Kill. But Kaye had already gotten rid of every evidence, and the possibility of the night ending at his place made his heart skip a beat… Was it weird to invite someone home on the first date? It was weird, wasn't it?
Phat smiled and looked away. Kaye read a bit of shyness breaking his cool demeanor. "I'd love to. How could I refuse?"
Kaye breathed a sigh of relief. He reached for water, but Phat did too. Phat's hand ended up right on Kaye's. It was warm, compared to the coldness of the glass bottle. Kaye froze in awkwardness. Phat laughed, then grabbed Kaye's hand intentionally, and placed it on the table. He kept holding his hand, while he filled both their glasses with water with his free hand. "I'll take care of it." Phat just said.
Oh.
Kaye though that maybe that was a date, and it wasn't all in his head.
Kaye had liked him as soon as he saw him at the mall. Phat looked so cool and brave, while Kaye was such a scaredy-cat. And Phat was handsome too. Kaye bit down a smile, as he imagined and how he could translate Phat's facial features on paper, where his pencil would graze and where it would trace harsher lines.
When Phat noticed him staring, he just asked: "What are you thinking about?"
"I'm thinking about how I'd draw you. I really want it to turn out good." He answered.
"I'm sure it will." Phat said, and he sounded earnest. "So, how did you end up doing this job?"
"Honestly, it's the only thing I'm somewhat good at."
"Don't be humble. I flipped through the pages of your last volume. I grabbed it from my sister's shelf. You're really good. Otherwise, you wouldn't be holding your own fan meet at such young age." He smiled. He hadn't let go of Kaye's hand, and his thumb was brushing on Kaye's knuckles. "You're great."
Kaye didn't know why he blushed at that. It wasn't the first time someone admired him at his job.
Kaye felt something tap the side of his shoe. He looked down. It was Phat's foot, now brushing against his leg. In response, Kaye's foot stepped forward, offering more of his leg.
"Thank you." In an attempt to take the attention away from himself, Kaye asked: "Are you into manga? Or comics?"
Phat smirked and shrugged. "I admit I've not read a lot of mangas, but I read a thriller once, and it really stuck with me. My sister recommended it to me. Sadly it's pretty underground, I don't expect you to know it."
"Really? I've read a lot. What's it called?" Kaye asked, an excited smile appearing on his face.
I suddenly don't remember. It's on the tip of my tongue, though."
"What was it about? I could help you name it."
"It's about a serial killer. They left bodies in a horrifying state, with a satanic looking star carved on their chest or back. It was an interesting read, considering my job." At Kaye's confused look, Phat added: "I'm a police officer."
Kaye's breath hitched.
"That artist was great. It's a pity they're in hiatus. To this day, I still wonder how the story ends." Phat added.
"That's a real pity…" Kaye murmured. His hand left Phat's. It shook as he grabbed his glass to take a sip of water. His mouth seemed to still be dry, even after he gulped half glass down.
"Oh, now I remember." Phat said, snapping his fingers. "Nekros. That's how it was called. Have you ever heard of it?"
Kaye's heart sunk. Phat knew? How… How did he know?
Kaye hid his hands in his lap as they shook violently. He pulled on his fingers in the desperate attempt to stop them. He shifted on his seat, and suddenly his legs felt heavy. Phat's foot was still brushing against his calf, pulling up the hem of the pants leg with the toe of his shoe. Kaye felt naked, as chilly air hit his ankle and goosebumps run down his body.
"Ne-Nekros?" Kaye stuttered, and it sounded maniac. "I've never heard of it."
Phat raised his eyebrows. "You haven't? It's all over the news, Kaye."
Kaye stood up violently. The chair scraped against the floor in a loud screech that made everyone in the restaurant turn their heads towards him. Kaye could feel each gaze creep on his body. Especially Phat's. Phat's gaze was the hardest to decipher. It was a calm gaze that lingered on him, like a feather tickling his skin. It made Kaye want to squirm away. A slight smirk curved Phat's lips.
"I… I have to use the toilet." Kaye stuttered before he stormed away.
Phat knew, right? There was no way he didn't. How did he know?
Kaye splashed his face with cold water, in the desperate attempt to come back to his senses. He needed to find a way out.
A hand grabbed his bicep and pushed him against the tiled wall. His back hit the wall just hard enough to startle him. The grip on his arm was firm enough to leave him no room for escape.
"Running away from me, Mr. Kill? I thought we were supposed to go to your place."
Phat was a police officer, Kaye was the first suspect of the murder case all over the news. Kaye's chest rose up and down in short, quick breaths.
Pined by Phat, his body shook hard. His breath hitched when he fully realized the man he liked was actually after him.
"Breathe, Kaye." Phat whispered, voice gentle but firm through Kaye's panic. "Nothing bad is going to happen to you, if you follow my instructions."