Finding Life Again

CHAPTER 23

"Kai?" Kai turned around, hearing the voice calling his name to see Leo's mother, who was hovering over him from behind. He questioned her while he forced himself into an uncomfortable position by turning back his upper body to look up from the sofa he was sitting on. "Please, feel at home and if you are hungry, just grab anything you want, and if you need anything else, just ask."

"Thank you," he sent her a grateful smile, at which she smiled back and walked away upstairs. It was rather late, but Kai didn't feel tired when the adrenaline still buzzed through his veins.

 After both of them arrived at Leo's family house, they have met with guest's from Leo's father's side. They were very welcoming towards Kai, who could forget about pains from the morning and the previous day. At least for those couple of hours, he felt wanted and accepted by strangers who were more family to him than the people who were supposed to be. 

It turned out guest's left very late, and Leo barely managed to keep his eyes open. His head wobbled from side to side as he sat on the sofa when Kai kept watching "How I met your mother" for the past two hours. Feeling guilty but not sleepy, he dragged Leo upstairs to let him sleep in the bed.

The night crawled slowly. Kai couldn't sleep, when he couldn't sleep- he thought. A lot. Once in a while, he distracted himself by staring at Leo- who breathed evenly wrapped in a puffy duvet. 

Kai traced his face lines with his fingers, smiling softly and holding his breath while leaning closer to kiss the locks falling on his forehead. Felling like a creep and not wanting to wake him up, he snuggled in Leo's chest and eventually drifted away.

Rose and her boyfriend Norman talked with their friends on the video call the following day early in the morning. Loud sounds woke up a couple from their sleep when Rose started shouting and laughing, telling some chaotic story Kai couldn't even follow. 

Leo pulled him closer, swearing and promising to strangle his little sister as soon as he would see her. Kai only chuckled at him, noticing how adorable he looked being that grumpy and sleepy.

"You look like shit Kai, did you sleep at all?" Rose awaited a response while standing by the counter and eating a carrot.

"You woke us up with your screaming and laughing in the morning." Leo snapped at her. "Why do you think he looks like that."

"Oh shit, sorry about that," Norman said from the armchair, and as soon as he noticed that he never meet Kai before, he stood up and greeted him, stretching out his hand.

"How come your boyfriend has some manners and you none?" Leo walked past his sister, glaring at her as anger was boiling up from the moment he saw her in the kitchen. 

"What's wrong with you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing. You simply never think about people around you, laughing at eight in the morning while knowing that we are on the other side of the wall. Really? We went through that so many times, Rose. Kai couldn't sleep, and the first thing you did was waking him up." Leo almost shouted at her, and Kai walked to him, wrapping in a bear hug. "How can you be so inconsiderate."

"It's fine. We can take a nap later." Kai murmured in his ear, trying to calm him down.

"No, it's not. Rose always does that, being selfish..." Leo started, and Rose cut him off.

"I got it. I'm truly sorry for that." She turned to Kai. "I'm sorry, we will be quiet from today, and I hope you are not angry as much as my brother is."

"It's okay, and I'm not." Kai smiled at her, hugging Leo and burying his face in the crook of his neck when he was about to start arguing with his sister. "Shhh." Leo tried to free himself, but Kai holder him tighter, not letting to talk.