Unspoken Bonds

Part 11: Shifting

The days were starting to blur together. Kion didn't know if it was the long hours, the constant hustle, or just the fact that he'd been spending a lot of time thinking about AJ. Either way, it was starting to mess with his head.

It had been a week since they smoked together, but things felt different now. AJ had kept calling him "Pa," and at first, Kion didn't say much about it-he just let it slide. It wasn't a big deal, but after a while, it was starting to stick. He'd catch himself thinking about it. Like, what did it mean? Was it just some joke? Or was it AJ trying to get under his skin in some other way?

Kion didn't know. And the thing was, he didn't really care. At least, that's what he told himself.

The real shit was the pull he felt when he was around AJ. It wasn't just the casual laughs or the smirks. There was something else there. Something Kion wasn't used to feeling.

It was a Tuesday evening when AJ hit him up again. Kion was in the middle of making a few calls, but he picked up anyway, figuring it wasn't a good idea to leave AJ hanging.

"What's good, Pa?" AJ's voice came through, light and familiar.

Kion couldn't help but smirk at the nickname, even though it still sounded off coming from him. "What you want, man?"

"You busy or what? I'm tryin' to slide through and kick it," AJ replied, no hesitation in his voice.

Kion glanced at the clock, but it wasn't like he had anything pressing to do. He hadn't been out in a minute, and if he was honest with himself, hanging with AJ was getting to be something he actually looked forward to.

"Nah, I'm good," Kion said, grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair. "I'll slide through. Where we at?"

"Same spot, same place," AJ said before hanging up, the call ending with the sound of him clicking his phone shut.

When Kion pulled up, AJ was already outside, leaning against his car with his hood up. He looked relaxed, like this wasn't anything serious-just two people kicking it like they had for weeks. But when Kion got out of his car, AJ stood up straight and walked over to him with a nod, like they were picking up right where they left off.

"Aight, Pa, let's get this started," AJ said, his voice playful, but his eyes not leaving Kion's.

"Stop calling me that, man," Kion muttered, not really mad but more so just over it. He hadn't even realized it, but the more AJ said it, the more it bugged him.

AJ only smirked and shrugged. "You like it. Don't trip."

Kion shot him a look, but he didn't argue. He knew AJ was gonna do what he wanted, and he wasn't about to waste energy on something that didn't even matter.

They walked into the building together, heading to the back where they usually chill. The place was dimly lit, a few people scattered around, but nothing too wild. AJ pulled out a blunt from his pocket and tossed it to Kion.

"Here," he said, nodding at the couch in the corner. "Let's sit. We got some catching up to do, right?"

Kion didn't argue. He sat down, lighting the blunt and taking a slow hit. It was almost like it was automatic at this point-every time they linked up, it was just the same routine. Smoke, talk shit, and chill. No pressure.

The conversation started slow, just talking about what they'd been up to. AJ mentioned a few things about his daughter, how he had to balance the streets and being a father, which Kion just listened to without much response.

But then, AJ leaned back on the couch, his eyes narrowing as he looked over at Kion. "So, Pa, when you gonna stop frontin'?"

Kion raised an eyebrow, the smoke from the blunt curling up toward the ceiling. "What you mean 'frontin'?'"

AJ leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I can tell, bro. You ain't fooling nobody. You act like you don't care, but I see it. The way you look at me sometimes. It's different. You feel me?"

Kion didn't say anything at first. He wasn't ready to address whatever the hell AJ was talking about. But there was something in his tone that made Kion's chest tighten. AJ was always talking that shit, always trying to dig under his skin, and Kion didn't want to give him the satisfaction of admitting it.

"Man, you trippin'," Kion muttered, trying to brush it off. He took another hit from the blunt, letting the smoke roll out slowly.

But AJ just smiled, his lips curling into something almost playful, almost knowing. "I'm serious though, Pa. You can't hide it forever."

Kion finally looked over at him, locking eyes for a split second before looking away. "Whatever, man. You do too much."

AJ laughed softly, the sound low and easy. "I know, I know. But you know what I'm sayin'. Ain't no point in frontin' if you feel what you feel."

Kion let out a slow breath, tapping the blunt against the ashtray. He didn't know what to say. Part of him wanted to brush it off, to keep things how they were-casual, no strings. But something about AJ's eyes, the way he looked at Kion like he was seeing right through him, made Kion wonder if it was time to face whatever was building between them.

"Just don't get ahead of yourself," Kion said, his voice low. "I'm not looking for whatever you think this is."

AJ didn't look disappointed or upset. Instead, he just shrugged, as if Kion's words didn't faze him. "I ain't looking for nothing either, Pa. But I'm here if you need me."

The words hung in the air for a moment, Kion unsure of how to respond. He wasn't ready to open up, not to AJ. But as the silence stretched between them, Kion couldn't help but wonder if maybe he was already in too deep, even if he hadn't admitted it yet.

AJ's gaze softened, and he passed the blunt back to Kion. "Don't trip. I ain't going nowhere."

Kion took the blunt, his mind spinning. Maybe AJ wasn't going anywhere, but Kion wasn't so sure about himself. The truth was, he wasn't sure about anything anymore, and that scared him more than he wanted to admit.

But as the smoke lingered between them, Kion couldn't help but feel like he was starting to let something else slip into his life-something he wasn't sure he was ready for.