The house had finally gone quiet. The doctor stepped out of the living room with his medical bag. The scent of antiseptic still lingered in the air, and the sound of rain outside made everything feel heavier.
Liam lay stretched out on the sofa, half his torso wrapped neatly in bandages. His injuries weren't critical, but bad enough to shake everyone.
Jay sat the closest, right beside the sofa. His hands were still trembling a little. He was the one who found Liam. He was the one who carried Liam with his own arms. His eyes were red—not from crying, but from shock.
Noah stood by the table with his arms crossed, still frustrated but his tone had softened. Eric stood behind the sofa, staring at Liam without blinking.
---
"He's stable," the doctor had said before leaving. "But his body is in trauma. He needs rest."
Now it was only the four of them.
Jay took a slow breath. He looked at Eric, and this time his tone wasn't as sharp as earlier. "You… are you okay?" His voice was low, clearly tired.
Eric shook his head slightly.
"I'm fine. But Liam…"
"He's strong," Jay cut in quickly, his hand resting lightly on the blanket covering Liam. "I just… I was scared that if I found him any later…"
Jay lowered his head a bit and inhaled.
"I found him in the back alley, Eric… he was already unconscious. I didn't dare take him to the hospital." His voice cracked slightly—not crying, just shaken to the core.
Eric felt his chest tighten.
"Sorry… I didn't pick up your calls. My phone died. I—"
Noah lifted a hand.
"It's fine. Don't start blaming yourself. It's already happened."
Jay looked at Eric again, softer this time.
"Next time… if we call you, answer it. I'm not mad… I just don't want this to happen again."
Eric nodded, genuinely understanding.
---
Somewhere far away, in a dimly lit room, only the sound of a slow fan and rustling paper filled the air. Several figures stood around a wide table. On the table lay photos, files, and small screens showing the faces of Eric, Carl, Noah, Jay… and Liam, injured.
A low voice spoke first,
"They're moving without even realizing it. Especially him… Eric Desmond. He has no idea this started long before he ever got involved."
Another voice, calmer but sharper, replied,
"Watch him closely. He's the type who connects the dots fast. The longer he stays alive, the more dangerous he becomes to our plans."
A third person spoke, sounding like the one in charge,
"Relax. We already have people close to them. When the time is right, we'll shut every exit they have."
They pulled Eric's photo to the front. Someone tapped it lightly with one finger, as if planning something.
"Listen up. Stay close to him. Become his best friend—earn his full trust." The leader gave the order to someone standing in the corner.
"He can't suspect anything. Get close to him, make him open up. The softer his heart becomes, the easier it is to pull him into the trap."
A quiet breath, then the assigned person replied,
"What if he starts to suspect?"
The leader chuckled quietly.
"Eric… he's sharp. But he's not perfect. Once his heart opens… he goes blind."
A few others laughed—cold, confident.
---
Liam slowly opened his eyes. The room was dim, lit only by a small lamp on the bedside table. His breathing felt heavy, though not as painful as before.
He turned his head—Jay was there.
Jay had fallen asleep in the chair right beside the bed. His body slumped forward a little, arms folded, his head nodding each time he drifted. His hair fell over part of his face. It was obvious he'd been forcing himself to stay awake for a long time.
Liam lifted his hand slightly, pretending to adjust his pillow, though his eyes never left Jay. He whispered softly, "Comfortable… sleeping like that?"
Jay jolted a little awake, his eyes half-open. He looked at Liam, then around the room as if checking everything was still okay.
"You're awake?" His voice was rough with sleep.
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Looks like it."
Jay let out a relieved breath and rubbed his face.
"I… dozed off for a bit."
Clear lie—he'd been fighting sleep for hours.
Liam gave a small, unguarded smile.
"Sleeping like that… doesn't your neck hurt?"
Jay shook his head, though the stiffness in his shoulders gave him away.
"Not the first time," he muttered.
Liam noticed. Quietly, without any fuss, he grabbed a small pillow and handed it to Jay.
"Here. Use it. Don't sleep sitting up again."
Jay froze, surprised Liam even offered something like that.
"It's fine. You're the one who's hurt."
"Just take it," Liam said softly. "You look tired too."
Jay finally took it.
He placed the pillow behind his head, shifting until he was a bit more comfortable.
Liam adjusted his blanket even though he wasn't cold.
Jay watched him for a few seconds.
"Earlier… did you have a nightmare? You moved a lot."
Liam paused. The memory of what happened before he passed out flashed through him.
Jay straightened slightly, eyes sharp.
"Tell me… what exactly happened before you fell?" His voice was low but firm, determined to understand everything.
Liam took a slow breath.
"It all happened fast. I… I think someone tried to stop me. But I didn't see who. I tried to run… then…" He winced slightly at the memory. "I don't even know where I fell. It just… went black."
Jay nodded. He reached out and held Liam's hand lightly— not tightly, just steady.
"Okay… what's the last thing you remember seeing?"
Liam thought for a moment.
"There was… a shadow of someone. But… I'm not sure. Too fast." He gave a faint smile.
"Lucky you were there," Liam said quietly. "Otherwise… I don't know."
Jay went quiet.
The room settled into a soft silence, only the ticking clock filling the air.
"From now on… be more careful," Jay said, breaking the stillness with a more serious tone.
Liam nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Omega."
Jay smacked Liam right on the wounded spot. Liam hissed in pain.
"I'm not an Omega!"
Liam chuckled, adjusting himself slowly. "Okay… okay…"
He lowered his gaze, smiling. He felt relieved—even if his body still ached. The night was still tense because of everything that happened, but with Jay beside him, some of that fear faded.
Liam closed his eyes again, more to rest than sleep, but comfortable because Jay was still there. Jay sat upright, staying alert, keeping watch.
The night ended quietly—not an empty silence, but one filled with caution… and a strange sense of comfort neither of them said out loud.