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Kai knew something was wrong the moment Jay stopped talking.
Not because Jay was incapable of silence. Technically, he was.
But breakfast without Jay filling the room with some ridiculous story, complaint, or completely unnecessary commentary was unsettling.
Kai glanced across the table.
Jay was staring at him.
Kai looked back down at his breakfast.
“What?”
“You’re sick.”
“I’m not sick.”
“You’re quiet.”
“So?”
“You’re never quiet.”
Kai sighed. “Maybe I’m tired.”
Jay narrowed his eyes.
“Exactly.”
“Exactly what?”
“You’re sick.”
Kai rolled his eyes and picked up his cup.
Jay watched him take a sip.
Then his eyebrows shot up.
“Did you just put salt in your tea?”
Kai froze.
He slowly lowered the cup.
“…No.”
“You absolutely did.”
“It’s a new recipe.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“You don’t have to drink it.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
Kai pushed his chair back.
“I’m going training.”
Jay stared at him.
“You’re what?”
“Training.”
“You just put salt in your tea.”
“I said it was a new recipe.”
“And you’re exhausted.”
“I’m fine.”
“You look like you’ve been hit by a truck.”
“I have not.”
“You look like the truck apologized afterward.”
Kai groaned.
“Jay.”
“Kai.”
“I’m fine.”
Jay pointed at him.
“You’re doing the thing.”
“What thing?”
“The stubborn thing.”
“I don’t have a stubborn thing.”
“You absolutely have a stubborn thing.”
Kai stood.
The room tilted.
Just slightly.
Barely enough for anyone else to notice.
Unfortunately, Jay noticed everything.
Kai steadied himself against the table and immediately pretended he hadn’t.
Jay slowly stood too.
“…You good?”
“Fine.”
“You almost fell over.”
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
“I’m going training.”
Jay watched him leave.
Then he looked at the rest of the team.
Everyone had been silently watching the exchange.
Nya raised an eyebrow.
“Five minutes,” she said.
Jay nodded.
“Three.”
⸻
Jay found him in the training room.
Kai was halfway through a routine, though “routine” was being generous.
His movements were slower than usual. His balance was off. His breathing was heavier.
Jay stood in the doorway for several seconds.
Kai didn’t notice him.
That alone was enough.
“Kai.”
Kai jumped.
“I’m fine.”
“I didn’t even ask.”
“You were going to.”
“I was going to ask why you’re trying to train when you can barely stand.”
“I can stand perfectly fine.”
Kai turned.
Took one step.
And nearly walked straight into the wall.
Jay stared.
Kai stopped.
There was a long silence.
“…I meant to do that.”
“Sure.”
“I was testing my reflexes.”
“Against a wall?”
“Yes.”
Jay walked over and took the training weapon from Kai’s hand.
“Hey!”
“Nope.”
“Jay.”
“No.”
“Give it back.”
“No.”
“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
Jay pointed toward the door.
“You nearly walked into a wall five minutes ago.”
“I was distracted.”
“You were looking directly at it.”
Kai crossed his arms.
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Good.”
Jay grabbed his arm.
“Because I’m not babysitting you.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Ordering you to bed.”
Kai stared at him.
“You can’t order me to bed.”
“I just did.”
“You’re impossible.”
“And you’re sick.”
“I’m not—”
“Kai.”
Jay’s voice softened.
Kai stopped.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Then Kai sighed.
“…Fine.”
Jay grinned.
“Great.”
“But I’m only resting for an hour.”
“Sure.”
“And I’m not staying in bed all day.”
“Obviously.”
“And I don’t need anything.”
Jay smiled wider.
“Okay.”
Kai narrowed his eyes.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“No reason.”
Kai immediately regretted agreeing.
⸻
Twenty minutes later, Kai was sitting in bed surrounded by enough blankets to survive a winter expedition.
There was a glass of water on the bedside table.
A bowl of his favourite snack sat beside it.
And Jay had somehow acquired an extra pillow.
Kai stared at everything.
“I said I didn’t need anything.”
“Yep.”
“You didn’t listen.”
“Nope.”
“I don’t need all these blankets.”
Jay tucked one more around his shoulders.
“You’re cold.”
“I’m not.”
“Your hands are freezing.”
“They’re fine.”
“They’re practically ice.”
Kai pulled his hands under the blanket.
Jay nodded approvingly.
“There. Problem solved.”
Kai glared at him.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“Immensely.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
Kai grumbled something unintelligible.
Jay sat down beside the bed.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Kai picked at the snack.
Jay noticed.
“You like those.”
“I do.”
“Then eat.”
Kai sighed.
“You’re really going to keep doing this, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
Kai ate another piece.
Jay smiled.
“See? You’re already recovering.”
“That isn’t how recovery works.”
“Sounds like something a sick person would say.”
Kai rolled his eyes.
But he was smiling.
Only slightly.
⸻
Eventually, the room grew quieter.
Kai stared at the ceiling.
Jay had been unusually good at keeping him distracted.
Too good, perhaps.
Because eventually there was nothing left to distract him from the uncomfortable feeling sitting in his chest.
“I hate this.”
Jay looked over.
“The snack?”
“No.”
Kai pulled the blanket tighter around himself.
“This.”
He gestured vaguely at the bed.
“Having to lie here. Not being able to do anything.”
Jay’s expression softened.
Kai looked away.
“I hate feeling helpless.”
Jay was quiet for a moment.
Then he said, “You’re not helpless.”
“Feels like it.”
“You’re resting.”
“Same difference.”
“No.”
Jay leaned back in the chair.
“Resting isn’t being helpless. It’s giving your body a chance to recover.”
Kai didn’t answer.
Jay continued.
“If I were the one in this bed, you’d tell me the exact same thing.”
Kai glanced at him.
“And I’d probably ignore you.”
“Exactly.”
That earned a quiet laugh.
Jay smiled.
“See? You’re already getting better.”
Kai shook his head.
“You’re an idiot.”
“Yeah.”
Jay leaned back.
“But I’m your idiot.”
Kai’s smile returned.
He looked down at the blanket.
“…Thanks.”
Jay blinked.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“I heard you.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“I’m absolutely not.”
Kai groaned.
“Just shut up.”
“Okay.”
Jay paused.
“For five seconds.”
Kai laughed.
⸻
Jay decided that the best solution was to tell stories.
Bad stories.
Specifically, stories about missions that Kai had already experienced but apparently needed to hear Jay’s extremely inaccurate version of.
“Okay,” Jay said, settling into his chair. “Remember that time we had to infiltrate that fortress?”
“Yes.”
“Wrong. We were actually there to steal an enormous cake.”
Kai stared at him.
“That is not what happened.”
“That’s what the ninjas thought happened.”
“Jay.”
“Anyway, Cole got distracted by the cake—”
“Cole did not get distracted by the cake.”
“He absolutely did.”
“He was checking for traps.”
“On a cake?”
“It was a suspicious cake.”
Jay nodded solemnly.
“Exactly.”
Kai laughed.
A real laugh this time.
Jay continued.
“And then Zane walked into the room and said—”
Kai’s eyes began to droop.
“—‘This appears to be a highly sophisticated pastry.’”
Kai smiled.
“That’s not what he said.”
“I swear that’s what he said.”
“You’re terrible at telling stories.”
“I know.”
Kai’s eyes closed.
Jay kept talking.
“And then Lloyd—”
Silence.
Jay looked over.
Kai was asleep.
Jay smiled.
He lowered his voice.
“…And then Lloyd did something stupid.”
Kai didn’t move.
Jay carefully reached over and pulled the blanket higher around him.
“Sleep well, Kai.”
⸻
When Kai woke up, the room was dim.
For a moment, he didn’t remember where he was.
Then he noticed the blanket.
The water.
The empty snack bowl.
And Jay.
Jay was asleep in the chair beside the bed, his head tilted awkwardly against the backrest.
Kai stared at him.
He’d stayed.
The entire time.
Kai quietly sat up.
Jay didn’t wake.
Kai reached for the spare blanket folded at the foot of the bed.
He carefully draped it over Jay.
Jay shifted.
Kai froze.
But Jay only mumbled something incomprehensible before settling back down.
Kai smiled.
Maybe he understood now.
Being taken care of didn’t mean he was weak.
It didn’t mean he was helpless.
Sometimes it just meant someone cared enough to stay.
Jay stirred.
His eyes opened halfway.
“Kai?”
“Yeah?”
“You awake?”
“Yeah.”
Jay immediately sat upright.
“How do you feel?”
Kai thought about it.
“A little better.”
Jay’s face brightened.
“Good.”
He pointed at Kai.
“That means I get to keep bossing you around.”
Kai rolled his eyes.
“Don’t push it.”
“Too late.”
Kai shook his head.
But he didn’t argue.
Instead, he leaned back against his pillow.
The room was quiet again.
Comfortably quiet.
And after a moment, Kai spoke softly.
“…Having someone look after me isn’t actually so bad.”
Jay smiled.
“I knew you’d come around.”
“Don’t ruin the moment.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Kai closed his eyes again.
This time, when he rested, he didn’t feel helpless at all.