Kit:P’Kim dragged Kit into the car without another word, his fingers tight around Kit’s wrist. His jaw was set, and he would not look at the other man as he opened the passenger seat and gestured for him to get in.
Kit was nervous at this ruggedness but followed his silent command nonetheless, taking the passenger seat with tense hands. The door slammed shut on his face and he quickly fastened his seatbelt, just as P’Kim opened the driver’s side door and slammed it shut once again, making Kit flinch back.
They still didn’t speak as P’Kim turned on the engine and with one heavy foot on the gas pedal, zoomed out of the driveway in the blink of an eye, his gaze fixated on the road ahead.
Kit fiddled with his fingers, looking out the window. The world outside passed by in a blur, so fast that Kit felt a bit dizzy; Kim was driving like a maniac! Terrified, Kit glanced at the dashboard, and the speedometer said 140.
Shit.P’Kim looks seriously pissed offHe didn’t know what to say or do to ease the tension in the atmosphere, or if he could even say anything to make P’Kim forgive him for going out of the mansion without informing anyone. It was his fault, after all, that the older man was angry and this time, he didn’t know if he could fix this.
He had been careless and immature. He and his friends had nearly lost their lives because of that mistake. Hell, Ben literally almost got shot! He never should have gotten out of the house. He shouldn’t have gotten so emotional.
He knew full well that no ‘sorry’ would ever cut it, but he tried anyway, “P’Kim… I’m so—” But he wasn’t able to finish because P’Kim slammed hard on the breaks, and if it wasn’t for the seatbelt, Kit would have lurched forward violently, hitting his head on the dashboard. Suffice to say, his weak apology had been cut off.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking around. It was dark outside, and it didn’t take much for Kit to realize they were in the middle of nowhere; streets deserted with no other car on the road other than the one they were in.
The car came to a sudden, violent halt, and Kit looked around outside the car to see that they were literally in the middle of nowhere. The vast agricultural fields on either side of the road were unfamiliar, and there was no sign of civilization for miles on end.
P’Kim’s angry silence was starting to seriously scare Kit. He knew that P’Kim wouldn’t hurt him, but he was still afraid that both of them might argue and hurt each other in ways other than physical. And Kit didn’t think he was ready for that after the whole day’s ordeal.
“P’Kim…” he gently called, but did not dare raise a hand to touch him on the shoulder, fearing that it might set P’Kim off. “Are you alright?”
P’Kim didn’t respond for so long that Kit was beginning to think he was too deep in thought to have heard him. He was about to call P’Kim again, even though his heart was beating erratically inside his chest out of fear, but the man suddenly took in sharp, deep breath.
Then, slowly, he turned to finally acknowledge Kit. “Were you hurt?” Was the first thing that P’Kim asked Kit.
His voice sounded hoarse, as though he was concentrating on sounding calm and collected when he was anything but.
It hit Kit like a bullet—even though P’Kim was clearly raging, it was an anger borne of worry and fear for Kit’s wellbeing. It wasn’t that he was blaming Kit for what happened earlier, but that he was angry Kit had put his life in danger.
And that made Kit feel even more horrible.
If anything happened to him, it wouldn’t only affect him, but also the people around him—the people he loved and the people that loved him.
“P’Kim, pom…karthot makBut Kim didn't respond to that. Instead, he asked again, “Were you hurt?”
Kit decided to go along with P’Kim’s interrogation. “Uh… I have a minor, ah, injury from when I pressed my hand against a broken glass on the floor. But, uh, other than that I seem to be fine.”
“Show me,” P’Kim said, his words curt and bitten out.
“What?”
“Your hand.”
“Oh.” He raised his hand towards P’Kim, and the other man took it in his own, examining the thin line of red on the side of his palm where the blood had already dried.
Kit thought he would be getting another lecture from P’Kim or perhaps even some scolding since he was, indeed, at fault. So he braced himself for what was to come next.
But instead, P’Kim stared at the blood, and then he brought Kit’s hand to his mouth, so he could lick the red line in Kit’s palm.
Kit’s breath hitched as P’Kim reached forward to unbuckle his seatbelt. And before he knew what was happening, he was getting picked up, out of his seat, like he weighed nothing and being straddles across P’Kim’s lap, his heart launching in his chest at the close proximity.
“From now on,” P’Kim said, his voice rough but not harsh. “You need to be in my sights at all times. Got it?”
Kit nodded. “Chai, Khab“Kit…” P’Kim sighed, before he raised a hand to caress his cheek lovingly. “The danger that we are facing now isn't just about me anymore,” he admitted. “This… rising threat may have just discovered that you are my biggest weakness. And now he's out to get you instead.”
Kit let out a soft gasp. “Is that why they shot at the car when we were returning from the hospital?”
“Yes, and tonight as well. They waited to get you alone.” P’Kim told him gravely. “But it seems that you aren’t the only target, but Ben too.”
“Ben?” Kit couldn’t help but let out another gasp. “Why would they be after Ben? He doesn’t have anything to do with you!”
“He may not, but he seems to have some kind of connection to P’First, and P’First’s car was shot at recently as well,” P’Kim told Kit. “The person who shot at the car when you and Kaya were heading home from the hospital the other day was the same person who shot P’First's car. We found that out after inspecting the bullet indentations on the car. And today's attack just proves that our unknown enemy is targeting our loved ones rather than us; since it’s a lot easier to go after the lovers of the mafia leaders.”
Kit felt another pang of guilt as he thought about Ben’s shirt soaked in blood when he had shoved Kit out of harm’s way. He had stormed off after being unable to bear the news of his sister’s confirmed pregnancy with P’Kim’s child, all without knowing that he was only playing into the hands of the enemy. The guy must have felt smug, thinking they were hitting two birds with one stone.
Kit wanted to tell P’Kim how sorry he was for acting the way he had, hoping it might ease some of the guilt he felt, but he bit his tongue. He didn't want to admit it out loud; it would only make him feel like a jealous and immature child.
Instead, he said, “Can we go and check in on Ben? I want to see him, know how he's doing. He basically risked his life for me and Earth, and I couldn't thank him enough.”
But P’Kim only shook his head, rubbing a hand up and down Kit’s arm. “That can wait until the next day,” he said. “For now, you are mine.”
And then he pulled Kit in for a kiss.