Aj and niko - enemies to lovers

Umbrella

Sharky and Kenny were lounging on the couch, casually chatting about a movie they'd recently watched.

They stopped talking as they both heard the door slowly creek open.

Kenny and Sharky turned their heads, and their jaws dropped slowly as they were processing what they were seeing.

Niko walked in, his expression a mix of irritation and something they couldn't quite place, with Aj, of all people, on his back.

Aj was fast asleep, his face buried against Niko's shoulder, completely oblivious to the world around him.

That was bizarre enough in itself, but what really caught their attention were the bloodstained bandages wrapped around Aj's arm and the scrapes on his legs.

"What the hell...?" Sharky muttered, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Kenny stood up from the couch, equally baffled. "Wait, is that Aj? What's going on? I thought you two hated each other."

Niko's eyes flicked to them briefly, his expression unreadable. He didn't bother to explain himself, simply adjusting Aj on his back with a quiet grunt.

But there was a flicker of something in his eyes when they landed on Sharky, who was looking at Aj with concern.

Oh yeah, Sharky has a massive crush on Aj, he's probably feeling jealous... Niko thought to himself.

Sharky took a hesitant step forward, his mind racing to make sense of the scene in front of him. "Is... is he okay? What happened?" He asked, his voice laced with genuine worry.

Kenny, still processing the sight of Niko and Aj together, chimed in, his tone a mix of disbelief and concern. "Did you two get into a fight or something? Why's he all banged up?"

The idea that Sharky might care for Aj in a way that wasn't purely platonic set Niko's teeth on edge.

As Sharky stepped closer, he reached out and gently shook Aj's shoulder, trying to wake him. "Aj? Hey, wake up."

Aj stirred slowly, his eyes blinking open as he struggled to orient himself. The moment he realised he was on Niko's back, his eyes widened, and he quickly pushed himself off, almost stumbling to the floor in his haste. He backed away from Niko, his movements stiff and awkward, until he bumped into Sharky, who caught him by the shoulders.

"Whoa, careful." Sharky said softly, steadying him. "Are you okay?"

Kenny, who had been silently watching the exchange, finally spoke up again, his confusion evident. "Seriously, what happened? Why are you guys together?"

Aj, still disoriented, looked between the three of them, his mind racing to catch up. His body ached from the injuries, and his thoughts were a jumbled mess. The last thing he remembered was running from Niko, and now... this? He was too exhausted to even process it.

Niko, however, was more focused on the fact that Sharky hadn't let go of Aj yet. Every time Sharky's hand lingered on Aj's arm or shoulder, Niko felt a pang of irritation, his patience wearing thin. He watched with narrowed eyes as Sharky gently guided Aj to sit on the edge of the couch, still holding onto him as if he might collapse at any moment.

"What's wrong?" Sharky asked, his voice gentle as he knelt beside Aj. "You're not saying anything. Are you hurt somewhere else?"

Aj, still trying to shake off the lingering fog of sleep, only gave short answers. "I'm fine."

Sharky wasn't convinced, and his concern only grew with each vague response. "Are you sure? You look like you're in a lot of pain."

"I said I'm fine," Aj repeated, his tone flat as he tried to avoid eye contact. He was too tired to deal with Sharky's questions, and even more tired of the way Niko was staring at him, he could feel the daggers but didn't want to look back.