Page 23 of His to Take

"Here," Ajax said gruffly, handing the bags to Dylan. "What's all this for?"

"I told them to bring up their breakfast package," Dylan replied, feigning nonchalance as he rifled through the bags. "Like you said, I'm sick of takeout. I need something real."

It was a lie, of course; he just wanted an excuse to do something normal, something domestic, even if only for a moment.

Ajax studied him for a moment before shrugging. "Fine."

Dylan set about preparing the scrambled eggs on toast, his hands deftly cracking eggs and whisking them together. He might have spent most of his time in the restaurant's kitchen scrubbing dishes, but he'd still managed to pick up a few tricks — though he'd sure never expected to use them like this.

As he cooked, Ajax watched him silently. Dylan felt a flush spread across his cheeks under the weight of that gaze. He busied himself with the eggs, trying to ignore the growing warmth in his cheeks. "Make some coffee, will you?" he blurted out, hoping to redirect Ajax's attention.

"Remember who's in charge of who," Ajax growled, still sleepy, but he moved to the small coffee maker anyway. They stood sideby side in the tiny hotel kitchenette, close enough to touch, their movements a carefully choreographed dance.

Dylan couldn't help the giddiness bubbling up inside him. It was such a simple moment, yet it felt so intimate, so real. He tried to squash the feeling, reminding himself of the harsh reality of their situation. But even so, the warmth refused to fade.

"Here," Ajax said, setting a steaming mug of coffee beside Dylan. Their fingers brushed for a brief moment, sending an electric thrill up Dylan's arm. He swallowed hard and focused on finishing the eggs.

"Thanks," he mumbled, sliding a plate piled with scrambled eggs and toast across the counter to Ajax. They sat down to eat in silence, the newspaper forgotten on the table.

Ajax eyed the food with cautious curiosity before taking a bite. After a moment, surprise flickered across his face. "These are excellent, Dylan."

Dylan smirked, doing his best to brush off the compliment. "What dumb fucker can't whip up eggs?" He shoveled a forkful into his mouth, savoring the taste as he covertly studied Ajax's reaction from beneath lowered lashes. The spark of pride that ignited in his chest was unexpected, but not unwelcome.

He couldn't deny the strange satisfaction he felt at being able to provide something so simple for Ajax, even if their situation was anything but. As they ate in companionable silence, Dylan found himself smiling to himself.

He could get used to this kind of morning.

But all too quickly, reality intruded once more.

As they finished eating, Ajax picked up the newspaper that had come with the groceries. He began to flip through the pages, pausing every so often to read an article or study a photograph.

When Ajax turned the page, time seemed to freeze.

"Wha—?" Dylan choked out, his fork clattering to the floor. He snatched the newspaper from Ajax's grasp, frantically scanning the text as a cold dread settled over him.

It was Kai's photo on the page. Kai's name, Kai's face, the story of Kai's death…

Dylan's stomach churned with disgust and horror as he stared at the page, grief and disbelief warring within him.

"What is it?" Ajax asked, tense.

"Kai," Dylan whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the page. "He's my friend." He threw the paper away from himself with numb fingers. "He's dead."

Chapter twelve

The article was sensationalist trash, detailing how Kai had fallen from a hotel balcony.

No, not fallen — jumped.

Dylan stared at the paper. Memories of Kai flooded his mind. Images of that friendly young man who always greeted everyone with a bright smile danced before him. The words on the page seemed to blur and warp, the edges of reality fraying as grief overwhelmed him.

It didn't make sense! Kai definitely wasn't the type to take his own life! He was always so fucking upbeat, caring so much about keeping others from the darkness…

The sound of his name pulled him back to reality. He found himself staring into Ajax's concerned eyes. Dylan blinked, feeling the wetness on his cheeks. He'd been crying?

The cold eggs lay forgotten on their plates, the remnants of their once-pleasant morning now destroyed. Dylan looked downat the newspaper, its sensationalist headlines mocking him with every heartbeat.

Ajax pulled Dylan into his arms. "Did you know him well?"

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