Ethan Knox - August 2120
"Hmmm," I hum, looking up at Kai as he fidgets with the hem of his sleeve.
I prop my chin on my hand, watching him carefully. He's been acting… off since this morning.
Earlier, he was so clingy, wouldn't stop kissing me, wrapping me up in that soft, warm bubble I could have happily stayed in all day. And I wouldn't lie, I loved it. I could've stayed in bed forever. But somehow he'd managed to convince me we had to get up for breakfast, like he was on some serious mission to start the day.
And now… now he seems nervous. My chest tightens. Is he still upset about the other day, after he went to talk to Edmund?
"Hmmmmmm," I prolong the sound this time, just to see if he'll look at me. Finally, he does.
"What?" he asks, a little hesitant.
"Why are you being strange?" I say, keeping my tone soft but playful, trying to coax him out of whatever bubble he's in.
"I'm not being strange… how am I being strange?" he mumbles.
It's not like him at all. My stomach twists with nerves. Something's going on. He was perfectly normal last night, calm, cuddly, happy. This morning… something shifted.
A thought hits me like a bolt of lightning.
No. He's not going to tell me he's leaving, is he? That this isn't working for him here… and that's why he's acting like this?
My heart sinks, and I reach for his hand.
"Kai, you're not thinking of-"
Before I can finish, the kitchen door bursts open and a flood of voices fills the room.
"Happy Birthday, Ethan!"
For a moment, my brain freezes. Right. ...Today is my birthday. It totally slipped my mind in the middle of worrying about Kai.
Everyone stands up, crowding around our table and Miriam carefully sets a cake down with a smile.
"Happy birthday, sweetie," she says.
I feel my throat tighten. It shouldn't surprise me, they do this every year, but seeing everyone here, my friends, my little family… it always gets me. And this time, it feels even more magical because Kai is here.
I glance at him but he's no longer at the table. He's standing a little off to the side, avoiding the crowd like he always does. I hadn't even noticed he'd moved when everyone started gathering.
I wish he was right next to me, but just knowing he's here is enough.
"Come on! I want some cake!" Jack shoves into the seat beside me.
Daniel appears behind him and tugs his ear. "Who said you'd get any? It's Ethan's cake."
Tessa slips around to my other side, hand on my shoulder. "Happy birthday, birthday boy." She hands me a neatly wrapped gift.
I glance around again, and a huge grin spreads across my face. I'm ridiculously grateful for everyone here.
"Come on, make a wish!" Isaac calls from the back, sunglasses perched on his head.
A wish. My eyes drift toward Kai, and my heart skips a beat.
He's standing there, arms crossed, but then… he smiles. A real, genuine smile. One I haven't seen in forever.
I glance down at the cake and blow out the candles, making my wish.
I wish Kai can always be happy.
The room bursts into applause as people come over one by one, handing me gifts and well-wishes.
Miriam returns to take the cake back to the kitchen.
"Thanks for the cake, it looks amazing," I say, smiling at her.
"You should thank Kai, he did most of the work," she says with a knowing grin.
Kai made the cake. A cake for me.
I scan the room for him again. He's moved toward the canteen doors, talking with Ray. Then Ray laughs and slips an arm around Kai's shoulders, guiding him out.
Where are they going?
I start to stand, but Tessa gently blocks me.
"Don't worry about him, lover boy," she says, calm and knowing.
I hesitate for a second but I turn towards her.
"Thanks for the gift, Tessa," I grin, though my eyes keep drifting to the door.
"Why don't you open it?" she suggests.
I look down at the gift on the table and reach for it. Normally, I'd rush after Kai in a heartbeat, but I don't want to seem ungrateful.
I tear the paper open, and my jaw drops. It's a shirt. A really nice one.
"Is this… designer?" I ask, eyes wide.
Tessa places a hand on my arm and smiles.
"It's just something small. Go on, put it on and spruce yourself up. It is your birthday, after all," she says, then walks away, her smile knowing.
She's up to something, I can tell, but for now, I do what she says.
Maybe Kai went back to our room because he felt overwhelmed.
But when I open the bedroom door, it's empty.
Where did he go?
I quickly change into the shirt Tessa gave me, smoothing it over my shoulders and tucking it into my trousers. It fits perfectly, soft against my skin, and I can't help but grin at my reflection. Maybe Kai will notice. Maybe he'll like it.
Birthday or not, I'm not wasting another second. I slip on my shoes and dash out the door, scanning the courtyard. The morning air is crisp, carrying the faint smell of dew.
And then I see him.
Kai.
He's standing by the car with Ray, sleeves rolled up neatly, hair pushed back like he always does when he's trying to look… approachable. Not that he ever needs to try. The shirt he's wearing, fitted just right, and his trousers… god, he looks ridiculously good. Hot, even. My chest tightens, and I can't stop the little whoosh of breath that escapes me.
I pause for a moment, letting my eyes drink him in. The sun hits him just right, catching the curve of his jaw, the faint shadow beneath his cheekbones, the way his hair falls perfectly out of place. Every little detail has me feeling like a teenager again, heart thumping, stomach doing backflips.
"Wow," I murmur, barely able to contain it. "He looks… amazing."
My feet move before my brain catches up, and suddenly I'm walking toward him, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Hey!" I call, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. My voice comes out too high, too bright, too… me.
Kai turns, and for the briefest moment, his eyes meet mine. That familiar flash of recognition, that small, almost-hidden smile… it makes my heart feel like it's doing somersaults.
I reach him, and I can't stop myself from letting my eyes roam just a fraction longer than I should. The rolled-up sleeves show off his forearms, strong and lean. The way his shirt clings to him in all the right places, the casual confidence in how he stands… I'm officially flustered.
"Wow, you look… really good," I manage, grinning like an idiot. My cheeks feel warm, my heart racing.
Kai raises an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, and I swear my knees almost give out. He looks… ridiculously attractive. And the little subtle things, the way he's relaxed around Ray but still alert, the way the light catches his eyes, it's like my brain has decided to melt entirely.
"You think?" he asks quietly, and my mind freezes.
"Yes!" I burst out, a little too loudly, hands tugging at the hem of my shirt nervously. "I mean… you look amazing. Really. Seriously. Hot."
Kai's smirk, and I feel my face heat up even more. Typical. He knows exactly what he's doing.
"Thanks," he says, and the way he says it… I feel it all the way through me.
"You..." Kai hesitates for a second "You look really good" he says nervously to me as his ears flush red.
I glance down at my own shirt again, and then back at him, heart thumping. "So… What is going on?" I ask, trying to focus, but honestly? I'm too busy thinking about how good he looks.
Ray claps Kai on the back, and he stumbles forward a step.
"Kai here asked if he can take my car into town," Ray says with a grin.
My eyes snap to Kai.
Into town? I've asked him a hundred times before, and he's always shot me down. My chest tightens with excitement, finally, I get to show him everything I love about the town, everything I want to share with him.
"Only if you do want to go?" Kai asks, rolling his shoulder where Ray hit him.
"Yes!" I blurt out instantly, heart hammering.
Kai glances at me, and I can't help the wide grin spreading across my face. His faint smirk flickers into something warmer for just a moment, and I feel like my stomach is floating.
"Just don't crash my car," Ray calls over his shoulder as he heads back toward the school.
Kai and I are alone now. I catch him watching me, eyes flicking over me in that way, the one that makes my chest tighten, the one that always makes me want to lean in closer. There's a flicker of that mischievous look in his eyes, but his fingers tap his thigh, precise, restless, like he's timing something.
I lean toward him, my heartbeat racing but he catches himself, glancing awkwardly between me and the car. Then, just like that, he moves to the passenger side and opens the door, gesturing for me to get in.
I slip in, and he shuts the door behind me before moving to the driver's side.
"I didn't know you could drive," I say, fumbling with my seatbelt.
"Erm… kind of," he replies, starting the engine.
I turn to him, raising an eyebrow. "Kind of?"
"Well… I can drive, but I don't have a license," he admits.
I laugh, the sound full of disbelief and amusement. "Of course. Special Division operator 004 doesn't get a proper license. Makes perfect sense."
Kai glances at me, a small laugh escaping his lips, and it's… contagious. He seems just as happy as I feel right now, like the two of us are wrapped up in our own little bubble of excitement.
I can't help but grin back at him, feeling my chest swell with warmth. This is going to be fun.