(Not) Fighting the right fight

Chapter 3

Kim woke up alone in bed...

It confused him because he was pretty sure he slept with Kamol beside him... practically under him the previous night... he looked around expecting to find traces of his partner somewhere... but there was nothing anywhere...

Panic crept up on him... he was either dreaming - not likely - or Kamol left again when Kim didn't say anything all night...

He hoped it was neither... he looked at the bedside alarm and was surprised to see it was still early in the morning... They barely slept...

He got up... Changed into some soft lounge wear... it would suit his plans to drag his partner back to bed once he found him... if he found him...

He traded down the stairs and was surprised to be met with an empty house... an even emptier office... he went to the kitchen in the hope he would find Auntie Nee and ask her if she had seen Khom or Kamol...

She seemed to be surprised to see him...

"I didn't expect you too to be up and running that early..."

"Me too?"

Auntie Nee shook her head in dismay...

"He had been up since dawn revising things with Khom... it started in the office and somehow they are now conversing near the tiger cage..."

"Did he eat anything??"

"I offered but he said he was not up for it and would wait for you... should I prepare it or do you plan to drag him back to bed ?? He looks dead on his feet..."

Kim contemplated the info in his mind for a bit before asking Auntie Nee to ready their breakfast in the room anyway...

Kim made his way to the tiger cage... he almost pumped into Khom in his haste...

"Sorry, Master Kim..."

"What's the rush?"

"Just some urgent matters... and Baiboon would need someone to pick him up again today..."

Kim hummed... his gaze fixated on Kamol's standing form near the tiger cage...

Khom followed his gaze and cleared his throat...

"He is tired... As bad as it looks as well..."

"What happened?"

"There were threats... and he tracked those threats down and handled them..."

"By himself?"

"More or less... but it's... He needs to sleep and rest for a bit... something he is not allowing himself to do..."

Kim nodded and then trailed his gaze on Khom...

"Are you alright, Khom?"

"A bit roughed up... I will rest for a bit before Baiboon arrives..."

Kim nodded and Khom excused himself...

-----

Kamol's mind had been so far away that he didn't hear the footsteps behind him and didn't register Kim's arms around his midsection till it was wrapped there...

He flinched slightly when Kim touched a rather tender bruise, but otherwise, he just stayed still... one of his hands coming up to cover Kim's

"Isn't it too early ?"

"I had some urgent things to attend to... "

"Did you eat?"

"No... I thought it would be better to wait for you to wake up..."