Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kinich sprinted through tall trees, pumping his legs harder and harder. His lungs burned but he pushed on, letting the pain distract his mind from what was about to take place. His first day of tenth grade, his first day of high school. To say he was nervous was an overstatement – he faced things much worse than school nearly everyday – but still, he was nervous. Mualani had been sent to a different school than him and, besides her, he hadn’t ever really made any other friends.

Kinch’s watch chimed, reminding him he needed to head home to get ready. Kinich turned on his heel and headed back down the old, backstreet paths. Reaching his house, Kinich pulled open the front gate and headed inside, careful not to wake his father, drunk on the couch. Again. Kinich quickly got ready and sat on his doorstep, waiting for Mualani. Their schools were close together and Mualani had mistakenly assumed that his father couldn’t drive him because he was working. Truthfully, Kinich wasn’t even entirely sure he had a job. His father was often fired for “unfair” and “stupid” reasons, meaning his father showed up drunk, hungover or not at all.

“Kinich! Hurry up, we’re gonna be late!” Mualani called from her father’s car. Kinich hopped up quickly and climbed inside, greeting Mualani’s father quietly. Mualani plugged her phone into the center console and began blasting music, singing along and trying to get Kinich to join. They both knew it was all for naught, yet Mualani always tried anyway. IT was just her personality.
“Kinich, ……… you ………. Kachina ……... school,” Mualani said, her voice getting carried away with the music.

“What? Mualani, I can’t hear you!” Kinich called back to no use. After several more failed attempts, he gave up, letting Mualani talk while he nodded along cluelessly.
Mualani’s father pulled into the school parking lot, turning the music down momentarily. Bidding his goodbye, Kinich made his way inside. Almost immediately, he was assaulted with the sounds of confused students, stressed teachers and people slamming their locker far to loudly to be necessary. He hated it.

Kinich made his way to the front office, picking up his locker details and schedule. Scanning the walls of dark blue metal, Kinich spotted his locker quickly. Unfortunately, someone he didn’t recognize was leaning against it, chatting away easily with a large group of boys. Before he could attempt to broach a conversation with them, a blonde male steps up.
“Excuse me gentlemen, but you’re kind of standing in front of my locker. Could you move?”

A few grumbles were heard form the group but they peacefully dispersed. Kinich walked up to his locker, entering the code once before it clicked open. Unfortunately, the bot from earlier had no such luck.

“Damn it! C’mon, open already!” the boy beside him grumbled, fumbling with his lock.
“Hey, could you help me? My code’s 19-35-07,” Kinich turned to find the blonde staring at him expectantly.
“Me?” “Yeah.”

Kinich hesitantly grabbed the lock, moving the dial to the previously mentioned combination. Kinich breathed a sigh of relief internally when the lock clicked open, the boy beside him grinning wider.
“Thanks. What’s your name by the way? Mine’s Lyney. Oh, and what’s your homeroom?” Ah, a talker.
Kinich answered his questions truthfully. Turns out they had the same homeroom but different electives. As the bell sounded overhead, Kinich made a move to walk away before he was stopped by the boy.
“Wanna come to class with me?” Lyney offered. “Sure.” Kinich replied simply and began following Lyney closely. When they got to class their homeroom, teacher placed them together in the back. So did their science, math and humanities teachers.

“Damn, I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to get to sit with you for every class!” Kinich internally cringed. It wasn’t like he disliked him, it’s just…. being with the same person for every class was nerve-racking, to say the least.
“You gonna eat or what?” Kinich’s attention was brought back to their reality. Him, Lyney and Lyney’s two siblings were eating outside in the grass.
“Oh, um, no. I forgot my lunch today.” Kinich replied back. It wasn’t really a lie. He simply didn’t have a lunch, his father being too drunk to go shopping. Again.
“Oh! Do you want some of mine then? I’ve got plenty, don’t worry!” Lyney held out his lunch, urging Kinich to take it. Shame rose in Kinich’s stomach, but he fought it down hastily.
“You don’t have to do that, I’m fine!”

“Nonsense! C’mon, Lynette and Freminet can share too! Like a picnic!” Lyney continued pestering Kinich until he gave in, taking the smallest portions possible. Lyney eventually abandoned his lunch entirely, insisting that Kinich have it. Under his sibling’s and Kinich’s watchful gaze, Lyney began performing card tricks, shuffling the deck in intricate patterns to reveal the same card, over and over. As lunch ended, Lyney pulled out his phone and thrust it in Kinich’s direction.
“Can I have you number? We’re basically best friends now so….” Lyney trailed off and Kinich hesitantly took it form him. He entered in his number and texted a simple ‘hello’ to himself.
“Great, I’ll text you later!” Lyney said enthusiastically.
“Yeah….”
***
Members: Kinich, Lyney
Lyney: KINICH GUESS WHAT
*no reply*
Lyney: Kinich r u good?
Lyney: Hellooooo
Kinich: Yeah, sorry I’m fine
Kinich: What happened?
Lyney: So, I was looking at the club postings on the skl website
Lyney: They have a swim club! We should totally join together!
Kinich: Maybe…

Kinich sighed as he hit the send button. Swimming, really? Lyney couldn’t have chosen something less… revealing? Dangerous? Kinich was a strong swimmer, his mother had made sure to teach him before she left. No, what he was afraid of was Lyney seeing the rather obvious bruises that often decorated his skin. It was easy to hide at school, but he couldn’t exactly wear a hoodie in the pool. On the other hand, Kinich had come to appreciate Lyney’s friendship. He wanted to spend time with him, truly.

Kinich: What if we did track or archery instead? Swimming’s not my favorite
Lyney: Sure! Do u have a preference or do u not care?
Kinich: I probably prefer track, but you can choose
Lyney: Track’s fine! What events tho?
Kinich: I prefer long distance… hurdles sound fun though
Lyney: I’ve never rlly run b4 so I’ll let u b the boss
Kinich: Oh
Kinich let out a sigh of relief. Track presented its own set of problems such as changing in the locker rooms and wearing sports wear, but it was still safer than swimming. His dad would kill him if CPS got called again. Kinich headed downstairs and began sweeping the living room. His dad had broken a beer bottle when he threw it at Kinich’s head that morning before school. Luckily, he had left earlier to do God knows what so Kinich had a bit of time to himself. Finishing cleaning up, Kinich retreated to his bedroom and began to hack away at the inhumane amount of homework he’d been given. Hopefully his father would stay out for a long time.
***
“KINICH! GET YER ASS DOWN HERE NOW!” Kinich’s father yelled from the kitchen. Kinich felt a flash of panic go through him. Shit, he forgot to make dinner. No, no, no, no, no….

“KINICH! YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS BEFORE I DRAG YOU DOWN HERE!” Kinich jumped up, crossing his room hurriedly and jumping down the stairs.

“Yeah? What did I…?” Kinich was interrupted by his father’s hand striking harshly against his face. Kinich stumbled backward but his father quickly stepped forward and grabbed his neck. Kinich struggled as his father squeezed harder, cutting off his oxygen. His dad flung him into a nearby wall and began screaming as he landed more punches against Kinich’s curled up form. Kinich bit his lip until he tasted blood – whether because he bit through his lip or because of his father’s violence. His father backed off for a moment only for him to reappear again, this time wielding one of his many empty beer bottles. Kinich shoved down the familiar wave of panic and quickly covered his head as his father brought down the bottle overtop of him. The bottle broke on impact, sending glass shards flying across the floor, cutting Kinich’s bare arms.

“YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT! The least you could do is take care of the house and yet you can’t even do that? You’re lucky I’m nice enough to not kick you out!” Kinich’s father boomed loudly, making Kinich flinch.

“Ye-yes, dad. I’ll clean the house better. Please.” Kinich pleaded, daring to look up from between his hands. Clearly, he had done something wrong though because his father’s face twisted into a look somehow more malicious than before. His father stepped back and reached behind the counter, taking hold of something. Kinich’s eyes widened impossibly larger as the sight of his father’s whipping cane came not view. Shit. His father brought it down over him, over and over as Kinich did his best not to start shaking and crying. It hurt so, so much. He shook as new wounds were ripped open across his skin, covering the previous ones. In between strikes, his father kicked him repeatedly, aiming for his stomach. It hurt terribly, like his entire body was being ripped open. Kinich covered his mouth with his arm as sobs threatened to spill out. His head felt fuzzy, dizzy and cotton-like. Shit.

Knock, knock. Kinich’s father stilled as Kinich peaked through his hands warily. A shout came from beyond the door, one of his father’s drinking buddies. His father threw the cane at him before throwing the door open, joining his friend outside. Kinich almost didn’t care about the repercussions that would come later, after his father would return home, drunk. Kinich shakily rose to his feet and climbed the stairs to the bathroom. He shut the door behind him despite the fact that the only other occupant had left. Kinich’s vision blurred as he began the increasingly hard-to-complete task of dressing his wounds. He went through the ministrations, doing his best to not pass out. Finishing his task, he shuffled to his room on dead feet and collapsed in bed. He heard his phone chime beside him, but he had already passed out before he had had the thought to check it.

Chapter Text

Lyney, admittedly, was head over heels. Really, it was expected – he always got way to caught up with who he liked. So, obviously, he had been watching Kinich carefully, cataloging his movements and speech into a special section in his brain that was probably better used for studying. So, when Kinich came to school the next day, wearing long sleeves and pants and grimacing whenever something so much as brushed against him, Lyney was the first to notice. Knowing Kinich, there a was a very small chance he would actually tell him, so Lyney had settled on a more subtle way of getting answers.
“Kinich, I’m kind of stuck on our new unit. You seem really smart, could you help? Maybe you could come over today?” Kinich confirmed his request, setting his plan in motion. After he invited Kinich over he would… Well, okay, he hadn’t figured out that part yet, but Lyney is nobody if not an expert at improv. When the final bell released them, Lyney flew out the classroom, Kinich’s wrist gripped firmly in his. As perceptive (obsessed) as he was with Kinich, Lyney managed to miss the sharp grimace that broke across Kinich’s face at the contact.

“Father won’t be home until late but Lynette and Freminet will be there. And if you wanna take a break at any time, tell me! We can also play video games or watch a movie… I heard there’s a really good movie out right now, have you seen it?” Lyney continued talking Kinich’s ear off as they gathered their stuff and fought their way through the crowded halls.

As Lyney pulled Kinich down the street towards his house he caught sight of Lynette and Freminet up ahead. “Lynette, Freminet! You guys remember Kinich, right? He agreed to help me with school, so we’ll be studying together!” Lyney pulled Kinich forward in case Lynette and Freminet hadn’t already seen him. Since Kinich was in front of him, he didn’t catch sight of Kinich’s wince, although his brother did.

“You okay? No offence but you look… not the best, sorry.” Kinich reassured Freminet that he was fine, but Freminet’s comment had know garnered Lynette’s attention and had refocused Lyney’s. The four of them continued their walk but now there was an added layer of tension to their interactions. Lyney struck up a menial conversation with Freminet, leaving Lynette to quietly assess her brother’s crush. Lyney hadn’t told anyone per se, nor had he informed them he had a crush at all, but it was rather obvious. Lyney caught crushes easily and almost always fell head-over-heels for whatever poor boy had attracted his attention. Most boys were either straight and thus rejected his advances or were some version of a toxic adolescent that were all-to-eager to become annoyingly clingy or refuse contact altogether. However, there seemed to be something different about Kinich. Ta least if he was straight and thus didn’t reciprocate Lyney’s feelings, he seemed like the type to keep quiet about it. This assumption led Lynette to believe he was a good person and so she had decided to train her attention on Kinich, looking for the tell-tale sign of his previius grievance.

“Sorry, Lynette, can I do something for you? I don’t mean to be rude, but it does seem like you are kind of… staring?” Lynette refocused her attention on Freminet as Lyney jumped in to cover her, recognizing that she was very close to having her social battery completely spent. Lyney distracted Kinich with new topics of sports and school before they finally reached their house. Lyney beckoned Kinich inside before showing him to his – admittedly very messy – room. He swiftly kicked a few stray pieces of clothing under his bed, stuffing an old board game into his dresser drawer and tossing everything else inside his closet. He had a feeling Kinich couldn’t care less but he still needed to impress him – he was his crush after all!

“So, what did you need help with exactly? I’m not the best at Teyvat Language Arts though…” Lyney resisted the urge to scoff at him. Like, Kinich - the same Kinich who hadn’t gotten anything below a three (out of four) all year – could be bad at something. Lyney was almost offended, he daresay.

“Hey, you can’t talk about being bad at T.L.A when I haven’t even finished the current essay! That’s just bragging! Honestly, you’re so smart, you need to share!” “So, we’ll start with T.L.A? You have the rubric with you right?” Kinich ignored the latter comment in favor of directing Lyney into doing some actual work. Kinich had, as expected, already completed said essay so he had taken to reviewing for math and occasionally stealing Lyney’s phone from him whenever he tried to abandon his very last-minute essay.

Surprisingly, Lyney had actually managed to complete his essay and had moved onto the math Kinich was reviewing when he felt a weight against his shoulder. Looking down, Lyney realized Kinich had passed out on top of him. If he hadn’t been beautiful before he definitely was now. His expression was one of peace and neutrality, his mouth slightly open and hair brushing softly against Lyney’s exposed shoulder.

“Kinich, wake up. Kinich,” Lyney repeated quietly yet loud enough that it should’ve awoken him. When Kinich still didn’t stir Lyney discarded his incomplete practice sheet, lay down and pulled Kinich closer. Lyney felt his heart race at the close proximity yet didn’t dare pull away. His arms remained around Kinich’s body until they finally slackened as Lyney joined Kinich in rest. With both boys asleep, neither of them noticed the sky darken nor did they hear a car pull into the driveway. Kinich didn’t notice his phone vibrate in his pocket, the screen lighting up with messages that grew increasingly more threatening.

“Lyney, dinner will be ready in…” Arlecchino hesitated at the sight of her son wrapped around another boy, one she had never seen before. Lyney’s table and floor were strewn with papers while a binder nearby lay open near the mystery boy, contents labeled “Humanities”. Supposedly, they had been studying, though she didn’t know what class required cuddling on the floor.

“Ahem. Lyney, wake up,” Arlecchino raised her voice, Freminet and Lynette coming to stand behind her, peaking in where they could. Surprisingly, or perhaps very unsurprisingly – she had no idea who this stranger was, mind you – the mystery boy was the first to awaken, sitting up quickly. Upon seeing the Knave, Kinich harshly grabbed Lyney’s shoulder, shaking him awake jerkily.

“Five more minutes…”
“Lyney, you have five seconds before I…”
“Father! Ahh, I’m so sorry! We were just studying, promise! We were just tired, is all! Kinich was just here to help with an essay, I can even show you!” Lyney spoke quickly, shoving aside papers to find said essay.

“Enough. Lynette has informed me that she believes this to be the truth. I wasn’t expecting a guest, but I suppose we have enough for a fifth person. Kinich, was it? Come with me.” Arlecchino turned to Kinich, who had been silent for the entire duration of their conversation, encouraging him to follow her. Kinich hastily rose, Lyney behind him. Freminet and Lynette disappeared into the kitchen while Arlecchino led them into the living room. Unfortunately, Lyney knew all to well that any conversation held in said room was easy to hear so he silently made a note to not piss off Freminet or Lynette, less he incur their endless teasing.

“So, Kinich, how are your grades? Do tell me if Lyney’s been a distraction.” Ah, so Father was targeting Kinich. “We haven’t gotten our first semester marks yet, but I suppose they’re good. Lyney hasn’t been a distraction, he’s actually been a very good part of my school day.” “Ah, I see. How about your parents, do they know where you are?” Kinich visibly recoils at the question but swiftly regains his composure before responding. “My mother left when I was younger and my father is probably at work right now, though I doubt he’d care what I’m up to.” Kinich answered decisively and yet all it did was leave Lyney more befuddled. His mother left – it was ambiguous enough that most would assume he meant she had passed and yet Lyney suspected he meant something else. And the way he discussed his father, as if he didn’t know or care where Kinich was on any given day. Arlecchino wasn’t particularly strict, but she still required their whereabouts, and she expected them home for dinner if they didn’t mention eating with their friends. Lyney’s attention was piqued now.

“Father, dinner’s ready. I presume Kinich is eating with us?” Freminet peaked his head into the living room, eyes quietly observing Kinich curiously, although not unkindly.
“Oh, I’m sorry you don’t have to! I can just leave you to it! I’m sure you’d rather have a proper family dinner anyway!” Kinich bolted up like the idea of having a family dinner was his deepest fear. Another strange, yet adorable quirk, Lyney supposes. Add that to many.

“I assure you we wouldn’t mind. You said your father was at work and I’m not letting any child that’s visited the House of the Hearth to walk home in the dark, especially in a new neighborhood.” Arlecchino was referring to their previous dwelling– an orphanage she had handed over to a trusted coworker before moving here with Freminet, Lynette, and himself. The Knave had named their current house after it, explaining why she had claimed Kinich as a ‘House of the Hearth visitor’.

Arlecchino guided Kinich and Lyney to their seats so that they were across from each other with the Knave at the head of the table beside them. Freminet and Lynette ate silently, clearly eager to eavesdrop. Lyney ate his food, stealing glances at both Kinich and father before the latter cut through the silence decisively.

“I hope you find the food to your liking. What do you normally eat at home?” Kinich took Arlecchino’s comment in stride, responding easily. “My father is normally… occupied most nights so I mostly cook for myself. I wouldn’t say I’m the worst cook but this definitely better than anything I’ve made.” “I could give you the recipe if you so wanted, it’s no family secret or anything of the like” “That would be appreciated. The meal would turn out okay even if I reduced it to less of a one-person sized meal?” Lynette confirmed his question before returning to her silent eavesdropping with Freminet joining in from his perch at the stove. Arlecchino queried Lyney with her eyes – the meal was already smaller than usual since they hadn’t been expecting Kinich. Lyney could see that Lynette or Freminet had begun preparing rice with the rice cooker and Freminet was currently tending to the final course – the proper meal. And yet Kinich had assumed that what he’d been given was a full meal and had even asked if he could reduce it easily. Maybe his ‘quirks’ weren’t just character traits.

“And besides grades, how’s school going? Lyney seems delighted to attend class with you.” Lyney internally groaned at Arlecchino’s decision to ignore what Kinich had said by choosing to embarrass him instead. He had only mentioned Kinich a few times anyways! At least father hadn’t called him out – Lyney had a feeling Kinich would sooner bolt from the room than tell them. Lyney tried to eat as noiselessly as possible, watching Kinich and the Knave talk comfortably. At least Kinich didn’t seem anxious around the Knave and Arlecchino seemed to find his remarks entertaining. Lyney, for once, was comfortable trading places with Kinich, letting Kinich act as the communicator while Lyney sat voicelessly. Did Kinich ever wish for Lyney to stop talking, to give him a voice instead of having Lyney control his? Kinich was by no means a push over and yet Lyney knows he has trouble feeling comfortable in conversations with newcomers. Maybe that was simply because Lyney had taken to talking over him. Had Lyney been acting as a terrible friend without realizing it?

“Lyney? You’ve been unusually quiet tonight. Something on your mind.” Lynette inquired. Just like her to notice, he supposes. Before he could reply back Freminet placed a bowl in front of him – the final course. Lynette diverted her attention from him momentarily as Freminet set down her bowl, then his and Arlecchino’s. Kinich flinched when Freminet placed his in front of him before staring quizzically at the food, like it was something unexpected.

“Oh, I wasn’t expecting more…” Kinich remarked quietly yet him and Arlecchino – and no doubt Lynette, with her ears – caught it. Arlecchino gave a quizzical look before turning back to her meal, yet Lyney was a bit more affronted. Kinich often ‘forgot’ his lunch, yet Lyney was starting to wonder if he had ever planned to eat it at all. If he wasn’t already concerned for his friend, he definitely was now. Freminet got up from the table to clear the dishes and when Kinich passed his empty dishware to him, his sleeve fell down revealing a large purple-blue bruise along with an old white scar. Freminet took his dishes without a word and Kinich lowered his arm, unaware of what had happened. Meanwhile, Lyney risked a glance at the Knave. She was sitting candidly, looking as if she had in no way seen the bruise. Lyney didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed – after all, she had seemed to notice much of Kinich’s strange behaviour before. Before Lyney could dwell on it any longer, the Knave stood up and gestured to him, Lynette and Freminet in turn.

“Lynette, Lyney, Freminet please clean up and start getting ready for bed. Lyney, could you retrieve Kinich’s things, I’m going to drive him home.” “Oh, you don’t have to. I can walk, it’s fine!” “It’s quite alright Kinich. Besides, if you’re going to be hanging out with Lyney often than it’s best that I take care of you properly. And I get to know where you live, for further reference.” Lyney exited the room with Freminet and Lynette and went to pack up Kinich’s stuff. His room clean, Lyney descended the stairs while his mind wandered back to what he had seen before. Handing Kinich his stuff, Lyney surveyed him thoroughly. He didn’t appear to have any other bruises, but he wasn’t revealing much skin either.

“Bye, I’ll see you tomorrow!” Lyney smiled cheerily at Kinich and the boy in turn smiled back happily. “Thank you for having me. I hope it wasn’t too much bother.” Arlecchino and Lyney reassured him otherwise, the Knave adding in that he was welcome any time. Lyney waved goodbye to Kinich until the Knave’s car disappeared before shutting the door shut softly behind him.
***
Kinich leaned his head against the window of the car, watching the scenery pass by while Arlecchino’s phone occasionally spouted out directions.

“Kinich, what happened to your arm?”

Chapter Text

“Kinich, what happened to your arm?” Kinich flinched at Arlecchino’s question, only serving to dig himself deeper into the already enormous hole he was in. Seriously, he had been harboring this secret for years and yet he had managed to unintentionally get his friend’s father to notice after one dinner. Mualani didn’t even know yet and they had known each other for years.

“Ah, I, um…” Shit, what was he supposed to say? “I fell during my morning run today.” Kinich felt a pang of guilt in his chest, he hated lying. He hated how a simple lie made pushed further towards his father, how a lie made them just a little bit more similar.

Arlecchino glances between him and the road but doesn’t acknowledge his lies. The rest of the trip is made in silence although Kinich has all to suddenly come off the high of being with Lyney. He was to close, he let himself be caught off guard. He can’t have that happen again.

Arlecchino pulls to a stop but before he can exit the car, she gestures for him to wait. “I know that I can be a bit… intimidating but please feel free to come to me for anything you may need. Here, I’ve written my number as well as the number Mavuika, my coworker. If you need help and I’m don’t answer, you may call her. I have also included the recipe as well. Good night and be safe.” The Knave hands Kinich a slip of paper which Kinich quickly stuffs into his bag. Saying his goodbyes, Kinich walks up the path to his house and enters quietly. Moonlight is cast across their old, weathered couch and the house remains blissfully silent. His father’s not home, probably drinking with his friends at the bar.

Kinich kicks off his shoes and heads upstairs. Him and Lyney had managed to finish a good portion of their work, but Kinich still hadn’t finished his math homework. He only had a few questions left and then he would go to bed. Hopefully, his father wouldn’t return. Sometimes, he opted for staying at a friend’s or staying in the bar’s backroom. His father was deeply hated at most of his previous workplaces for his inability to do work but was highly respected in many taverns. He would dance with the women and tell jokes with his friends. Inevitably, someone would tick him off and because his father had befriended so many tall, muscley guys, he would come home and take his rage out on Kinich. After all, Kinich couldn’t exactly kick his father out of his own home. Even if he had the strength.
Kinich quickly finished his work and got ready, showering with cold water to mind the bill and packing his bag for tomorrow. When everything was put away, Kinich finally remembered Arlecchino’s note.
Pulling it out of his bag and unfolding it gently, Kinich quickly memorized the Knave’s number. He wasn’t planning on calling her, but he felt calmer knowing he could recite the number of an adult he somewhat trusted. He trusted her more than his own father in a sense, though the fact that he had so little knowledge of her and her behaviour made him wary. She hadn’t done anything to make him think she was a bad person, which was precisely what put him off. Didn’t all adults have something for him to fear? He didn’t think she would abuse her kids, they seemed far to trusting of her for that but there were other things she could’ve done that wouldn’t affect Lyney, Lynette or Freminette. All this thinking was giving him a headache, honestly. He didn’t like to think negatively of his friend’s parents, but it seemed all to necessary to him.

Kinich climbed in bed and pulled the covers around himself tightly. He pulled his phone out to copy down Arlecchino’s and Mavuika’s numbers. Even if he didn’t know Mavuika, he could still ask her to carry along a message, should it be necessary. Suddenly, his phone lit up with a message: You have been added to “Arlecchino’s children” with Lyney, Freminet and Lynette.

Arlecchino’s children
Freminet, Kinich, Lynette and Lyney
Lyney: Hey, who’s awake! I’m boredddd
Lynette: Lyney, go to bed
Freminet: yeah, i was almost asleep…
Lyney: @kinich u up?
Kinich: Yeah
Kinich: I don’t mean to be rude but why am I here?
Lynette: Lyney and father have decided you’re a part of the family now…
Lynette: It’s okay to be horrified
Lynette: Being associated with Lyney is bad enough…
Lyney: Hey! I am not that bad!
Lyney: Besides, Kinich isn’t our new brother he’s js… idk
Freminet: ah yes, u can’t have Kinich b ur brother can u?
Lyney: Shut up!
Kinich: You realize I already have a father, right?
Freminet: i don’t think that matters to him
Kinich: I’m going to bed, Lyney go to bed at a normal time
Kinich: First day of track is tomorrow
Lyney: Almost forgot, whoops!
Lynette: Me and Fremi will also be there
Lynette: I’m doing hurdles, short distance and high jump
Freminette: i’m doing short distance and javelin
Kinich: We’re doing long distance and cross country

Kinich muted the group chat and curled onto his side. The places where his father had hit him still hurt but he had been so distracted with Lyney and dinner with his family that the feeling had subsided momentarily. Now, it came back full throttle, leaving him tossing in turning the whole night. He lay awake for hours before finally dozing off three hours before he had to get up.
***
The best part about his morning so far had been realizing his father wasn’t home. After he had woken up, he had found that his wounds hurt considerably more, he had a debilitating headache, he didn’t have anything to eat for breakfast that wouldn’t take to much time to prepare and since track started in the morning, he didn’t have a ride. He was currently questioning if he would have to call Arlecchino to pick him up. She had said he could call for help but the day after she had given him her number seemed rude. On the other hand, there was no way Mualani was even up yet, and he couldn’t walk to school without being at least fifteen minutes late. He hated this.
***
“Glad to see you again Kinich. I hope you slept well.” Arlecchino smiled kindly at Kinich as he slid in next to Lynette, Freminet on his other side. Lyney was sitting in the front or rather, sleeping. Freminet and Lynette looked slightly more awake although Freminet was currently harboring minor eyebags. Kinich wondered what kept him up at night and felt a sudden urge to learn more about the other boy. They were the same age after all.

Deciding conversation was better suited for when there weren’t multiple people within listening distance, Kinich sat quietly as Arlecchino drove them to school. The Knave parks her car in front of the school and, since Kinich has to wait for Lynette and Freminet, Kinich is the last to get out. Before he can bid goodbye, Arlecchino reaches her arm through her open window and grabs Kinich’s arm. Her touch is light, yet Kinich can’t help but flinch at the contact.

“Here, Freminet made extra.” Arlecchino holds out a lunch container and Kinich startles at the movement. “I couldn’t take it, especially after you drove me here! I have no way of repaying you!” “Think of it as a bonus for befriending my children. Besides, like I said, there was too much anyways, it would have gone to waste otherwise. Now go, before you’re late!” Arlecchino ushers him to follow Lynette and Freminette inside the school before winding the window back up and driving away. Kinich could’ve sworn she left quicker than necessary just to avoid his apologies.

“Come on, you’re going to be late!” Lyney beckons him inside and once Kinich has safely tucked his lunch inside, Lyney takes his hand and pulls him to the field. There are already a considerable amount of people warming up, yet Kinich cannot spot a teacher yet. Dropping his bag with Lyney’s, they begin a quick warm up. Kinich is wearing a long-sleeved running shirt and running pants while Lyney dons a t-shirt and shorts. Kinich carelessly lets his eyes take in Lyney’s body, his gaze soft yet attentive. Kinich is broken out of his thoughts when a teacher approaches them.

“Good job boys. Kinich, you’re really flexible! You must have done this before.” Kinich shake his head no and turns his attention away from Lyney to a female teacher standing further back.
“Attention, everyone! I am Coach Iansan, and I will be the short distance coach this season! I am also coaching javelin. My colleague Varesa will be your long distance and hurdles coach, Xilonen will be your cross-country coach, and Albert will be at random meets to assist the coaches. Our first meet will be at the end of October so not that far away. We will have long-distance, short distance, hurdles and field events. Cross-country won’t have any events, so be warned. The field meet is tomorrow, which you will still need to show up to if you are planning to do an event. That is all, to your coaches!” Coach Iansan ends her speech and him and Lyney head to their long-distance coach.

“I’m your long-distance coach Varesa! I can’t wait to have a great year with you all! If you have any questions, come to me! Also, if you plan to try out for other running events you can inform the coach of said event or myself. You have a limit of three events per meet and you cannot do two events at once! Okay, now let’s start with an easy jog.” Varesa finishes explaining and gestures at the area around them before leading them on a run around the school perimeter. Kinich manages to start with a good pace but eventually realizes that Lyney isn’t able to sustainably keep up with him like this. Switching to a lighter pace Kinich matches his steps with Lyney’s.

“Hey, don’t… slow down… cause of me! I know… you can go… faster than… this!” Kinich smiles at Lyney’s determination. It’s cute, how Lyney seems to notice everything about him. Granted, it’s a little nerve-wracking and slightly scary but still cute. Kinich knows Lyney does it out of kindness anyway, not perversion.

Finishing their warmups, Varesa calls for everyone’s attention. “Okay! This morning, we are going to do some quick six hundred meter timed trials before we head inside. Unfortunately, Iansan made me create groups so no, you cannot choose your partner! I’m going to begin listing off names now, so listen carefully!” Lyney looks at Kinich mournfully as he gets put into his group and Kinich smiles unsympathetically before he hears his name called. “Kinich and… Xiao” Kinich scans the group for his partner before his eyes land on a boy of small stature looking around just as cluelessly as him. “Are you… Xiao?” Kinich asks and when the boy nods, he lets a sense of relief wash over him. At least he found his partner easily enough.

Kinich goes to the front to borrow a stopwatch and sets off with Xiao towards a less occupied area of the track. “Do you want to go first or?” Kinich asks cautiously. “Best to get this over with.” Xiao replies and when he places his feet at the starting line, Kinich gets into position. Raising his hand, Kinich looks to Xiao for confirmation that he’s ready – he is – and lowers his arm quickly, using his other hand to activate the stopwatch. Xiao bursts forward and Kinich marvels at his talent – the boy’s good, admittedly. Kinich walks over to the other end of the track and when Xiao makes his first and a half lap, Kinich ends the timer. Xiao takes a swig from his water bottle while Kinich lines up. When his arm lowers, Kinich takes off, letting his legs push him forward. Kinich makes his first lap with energy to spare and decides to push himself further – when he crosses the line and Xiao hands him the stopwatch, he can see he’s beaten his personal record.

“You did a good job. Certainly, better than me.” Xiao comments. “You did really well though, don’t sell yourself short.” “Ha, you’re funny. What’s your main event anyway?” Kinich and Xiao spend the rest of their time cooling off and talking before they’re forced to go separate ways for class.

“See you!” “Yeah, see you.”

Chapter Text

“You’re Kinich’s friend, right? Could you help me choose a gift for him?” Lyney glanced upwards to find a boy of short stature donning a black hoodie staring at him nervously.

“Sorry, what?” “I’ve seen you and Kinich talk during track a couple times and he’s mentioned you a lot. His birthday’s soon, what are you getting him?” Kinich had talked about him? Wait. Kinich’s birthday is coming up?

“Oh, um, he never actually told me his birthday… When is it?” The boy in front of him stared quizzically for a moment before answering. “November eleventh” Kinich’s birthday is in ten days?! Why didn’t he tell him earlier? Why didn’t Lyney ask? Stupid, stupid…

“Oh, um, if you want gift ideas… He really likes wearing oversized hoodies… and he likes gaming. Plus, he’s in track so you could get him something for that. Oh, he really likes music!” The boy nodded before turning to leave. “Oh! What’s your name?” “Xiao.”
***
“Kinich, what do you want for your birthday?” Lyney watched as Kinich flinched at the question before finally answering. “I don’t really want anything. I don’t like my birthday anyways. I usually don’t celebrate it.” “What?! You don’t celebrate your birthday?” “Lyney, calm down, you’re attracting attention.” Lynette chimed in, her calm matching Lyney’s shock. Lyney lowered his voice, face still displaying his disgruntlement.

“Lyney’s right though. Why don’t you celebrate?” Freminet added in. They were currently spending lunch in a spare classroom. Clearly, their peers had had the same idea, since the class was jam packed full of teens with no volume control. “I just… don’t. We stopped celebrating it after I turned six. I never even noticed, to be honest.” Lyney exchanged glances with Freminet and Lynette before returning his attention back to Kinich. Deciding to change the topic, Lyney inquired about how Kinich was doing on his homework, using his acting skills to pretend his mind still wasn’t stuck on the idea. By the end of the day Lyney had constructed a plan to make sure Kinich had the best birthday possible. Now all he needed to do was get everyone else in on it.
***
“That’s… a terrible idea.” Currently Lynette, Freminet and Xiao were explaining everything wrong with Lyney’s plan. “You know he’d never believe that, right? He’s not as gullible or as stupid as you, you know?” Lynette commented. Honestly, why was everyone being so mean to him today? “We could always ask that Mualani girl he knows. I’ve seen her drop him off a couple times she seems nice.” Freminet adds, for once not insulting Lyney’s plan. Was it seriously that bad?

“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea.” Lyney had managed to convince Xiao to join them despite them never having talked before today. Xiao had been nice if nota bit harsh on Lyney for his ‘poor planning and terrible understanding of how to surprise someone’. “I’ll text her.” Lynette grabbed her phone and began typing. Lyney briefly wondered why she even had the girl’s number but was interrupted by Lynette’s phone going off. “Mualani said we should host a party at hers. Her parents are out for the weekend; we could make it into a sleepover.” Perfect.
***
“Ok, everyone knows the plan?” Xiao, Lyney, Lynette, Freminet and Mualani’s cousin Kachina all nodded simultaneously. Everyone had arrived an hour before the sleepover officially begun to set up decorations and prepare Mualani’s living room. Everyone had gotten permission to sleep over except Kachina, who was ‘too young’ to sleep over with a bunch of teenagers, especially ones Kachina had never even met.

Knock knock.

Everyone scrambled into their positions while Mualani went to greet Kinich. Checking that everyone was in place, Mualani counted down with her fingers before flinging open the door. Kinich entered and Lyney burst out, everyone else behind him. “Surprise! Happy birthday!” Lyney grinned at Kinich as Mualani pulled him into the living room. Kinich looked like he wanted to bury himself in Mualani’s couch but when Kachina came up to give Kinich ‘a birthday hug’ Lyney saw his mouth twist into a smile.

Mualani sat everyone down in the living room and put on a movie while Lynette helped her in the kitchen. Her and Lynette had apparently been working on their own surprises without everyone else if Xiao’s questioning gaze was anything to go off of. Kinich moved closer to Lyney and Lyney felt his cheeks written when their hands brushed against each other’s. “Were you listening to me at all when I said I didn’t want a celebration? How did you even manage this? I was expecting Kachina but I ‘ve never even seen you talk to Mualani.” Lyney smiled at Kinich in a way that conveyed his desire to keep the surprised a secret.

Freminet tapped Kinich on the shoulder and when he turned around Lyney followed his gaze. The lights had been turned off and Mualani and Lynette had brought a cake, candles glowing brightly. Lyney smiled as Kinich’s face grew warmer. Lynette placed the cake in front of him, and everyone waited for Kinich to glow out the candles. After a moment, Kinich leaned forward hastily and blew out the candles. Everyone clapped as Kinich shrank further into Lyney. Lyney felt his own cheeks redden as Kinich pressed himself against Lyney, his shoulder pushing against Lyney’s.

“Alright! Present time!” Mualani pulled everyone’s presents out from behind the couch while Lynette began cutting and serving out cake. As Lynette passed out the desert Mualani shoved gift after gift at Kinich. After opening each one Kinich would marvel at his present before both thanking the gift giver and insisting that he couldn’t accept it. Lyney found it cute, honestly. Xiao had given him a hoodie and a few nice sports shirts, Lynette had given him a new messenger bag, Mualani had made a scrapbook full of pictures of her, Kinich and Kachina along with photos she had gotten from Lynette, Freminet had gifted him a thermos and a book about alebrijes and Mualani and Kachina’s parents had each given him a card and some money.

“Arlecchino wanted me to give this to you.” Freminet handed a package to Kinich and when Kinich finally, albeit hesitantly, opened the gift a card, recipe book and a keychain fell out. Picking up the book, Lyney peered over his shoulder to read the contents. It was Arlecchino’s favorite recipe book; one she had filled with filled with annotations and notes over several years. The keychain was one Arlecchino had also given Lyney, Lynette and Freminet, one of her own making. Kinich didn’t know this, of course and Lyney wouldn’t tell him. “Wow… Please thank her for me.” “Or you could thank her yourself next time you come over.” Kinich nodded and Lyney handed him his gift. Kinich carefully unwrapped the gift to reveal a soft green blanket with pixel art and a water bottle along with some stickers Lyney included in case Kinich wanted to decorate it.

“Thank you, Lyney. And everyone else too.” Everyone else nodded and reaffirmed their earlier statements that it was fine. Mualani put on a movie and sat beside Lynette, talking quietly. Xiao moved to sit beside Kinich, and they began talking in hushed voices while Freminet, Kachina and him watched the movie in silence. When the movie ended Kachina’s parents came to pick her up and everyone took turns in the bathroom changing. Mualani let Lynette choose the next movie and Lyney moved closer to Freminet to whisper in his ear.

“They seem… I don’t know, into each other? Lynette is definitely not this open around new people usually.” “Yeah, she seems to like Mualani. Speaking of crushes, what are you gonna do about yours?” Freminet smirked at him and Lyney immediately regretted bringing up the topic.

“Whatever. Mualani, where’s the bathroom?” “Down the hall, first door on the left.” “Wait…” Lyney ignored Freminet in favor of grabbing his bag from the mantle and following Mualani’s directions. Finding the door, Lyney threw it open and stepped inside to find… Kinich. “S-sorry! I-I’ll…” Lyney trailed off when his gaze landed on Kinich’s skin. Kinich had taken off his shirt and pants to change but Lyney was too horrified to avert his gaze. Covering his arms and legs, were old, healing bruises and cuts. Bandages covered presumably worse wounds and Kinich’s stomach displayed large, painful bruises, like he had been punched or kicked multiple times. He looked skinnier than he should be. Lyney didn’t know if he wanted to hug Kinich, cry or punch the living daylights out of whoever did… this.

“Who- What happened?”

Chapter Text

Kinich prided himself on remaining calm, cool and collected a majority of the time. Right now, was not one of those times, much to Kinich’s dismay and Lyney’s ever growing horror.

“Nothing happened. I just… fell. I was skateboarding.” Kinich didn’t own a skateboard, but he was sure it didn’t even matter at this point. Anyone could tell his wounds were not from a skateboard.
“Could you… could you leave? Please. I need to change.” Kinich felt his face grow warmer and looked down, staring down at Mualani’s bathroom floor. “Oh… Yeah, sorry.” Lyney ducked out of the bathroom and Kinich quickly got dressed, mulling over what had happened. What would Lyney think of him now that he knew? Would he be ashamed to be with someone who was so pathetic they couldn’t even hide it? Would he think that Kinich was weak, that he wasn’t deserving of love or friendship if his own parents didn’t even like him? Lyney was nice, unbelievably nice, but Kinich doubted even he would stay after what he had seen.

Kinich left the bathroom, ignoring Lyney waiting in the hallway. He took his seat beside Xiao who gave him a curious glance. Xiao, as quiet as he was, was very observant, something that was currently being used against Kinich. Choosing to hold off on the questions, Xiao turned away and went back to watching the movie.
***
It had been a week since his birthday and Lyney still hadn’t given up on trying to talk to him. Kinich had spent most of lunch hanging out with Xiao and his friend Lumine. She was nice, heavily sarcastic and loved to prank people. Despite not knowing Kinich previously she had already jump scared him twice and swapped his and Xiao’s things around multiple times. She was also quite popular and had left them maybe twelve times to go talk to other kids. She was currently talking/tackling another girl, her girlfriend Ayaka.

“Are you ever going to tell me what happened between you and Lyney?” Kinich flinched at his question but quickly countered. “Nothing happened, I just… decided to spend lunch with you and Lumine instead. Besides, I still see him during my homeroom classes anyway.” It was a partly true, he did see Lyney during his classes. Luckily, they had gotten a new seating plan, placing him and Lyney on opposite ends of the classroom with a boy named Kazuha beside him.

“Kinich, I’m not stupid. You don’t think I didn’t notice you avoiding him? We’re at the very back of the school grounds, for crying out loud! Just talk to him. Whatever it is, I’m sure you can figure it out.” Kinich nodded. Lumine came back, holding hands with Ayaka and the three of them started talking jovially. Kinich watched them quietly for a moment, eyes glancing between Ayaka and Lumine. What would it feel like to date someone of the same gender as you? Did their parents approve? Kinich’s father would probably kill him if he dated a boy although there was no chance of that happening now. Or ever. He’s straight, very straight.
***
Kinich could feel Lyney’s gaze boring a hole into his skull. His teacher, Mr. Zhongli, had assigned them a group project and instead of pairing with Lyney, Kinich had asked Kazuha. Mr. Zhongli had also placed a third peer in their group, Ajaw. Apparently, they used to be in another class but kept starting fights with their classmates and had been moved to their class. They had already been sent out for being too disruptive twice and it was only their first day in class.

“Ajaw, please do the work. You haven’t written anything at all. You can’t make Kinich do everything.” “Shut up! He’s my servant, he’ll do what I say! You should be grateful to be able to work in the same group as the star football player, K’uhul Ajaw!” Kazuha and Ajaw continued squabbling, Kazuha looking closer and closer to either having a breakdown or fighting Ajaw. While Ajaw was distracted, Kinich reached into their bag and rooted around until he found their wallet. Kinich wasn’t a thief usually, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Stop fighting with Kazuha. If you don’t help, I won’t give back your wallet. And I’m sure the class would love to know that you listen to BTS.” Ajaw turned a furious shade of red, lunching for their wallet but tripping and falling over their and Kazuha’s desks instead. Kazuha smiled gratefully at Kinich and grabbed the wallet, the two of them passing it back and forth to evade Ajaw’s flying hands until they eventually tired.

“Fine, fine, I’ll do the work. You guys would be hopeless without me anyway!” Kazuha smirked and they both burst into a fit of laughter, Ajaw returning to their screaming. “You dare disrespect me?! Why you!” Kinich wiped tears of laughter from his eyes but halted when his eyes met Lyney’s. He looked so… sad. Kinich felt his earlier joy leave his body, the reminder of what happened souring the moment.
“You okay? You were happy and laughing one moment the next you look like someone punched you. And who’s the boy you keep looking at?” Kinich reassured Kazuha he was fine and after a moment Kazuha turned back to his work. Ajaw looked up from their paper to send a glare towards Lyney, weirdly protective. The three of them carried on with their work for a good twenty minutes before Ajaw, predictively, interrupted them.

You, servant read this!” “Show me.” Ajaw passed their paper to Kinich, Kazuha ignoring them. Kinich surveyed paper, reading their surprisingly good counters to Mr. Zhongli’s questions. They were smart, they just had anger issues.

“These are surprisingly good answers. If you stopped arguing with the teachers, you’d probably get way better grades.” Ajaw turned beat red and snatched the paper back muttering something, probably an insult, at Kinich. Kazuha finished the last sentence on his worksheet and joined in.

“Do you guys wanna meet up later today to work on the presentation portion? We can also help each other with the individual essays.” “As if the great K’uhul Ajaw needs help! Besides, it individual, stupid! Are you suggesting cheating?” Ajaw grinned and Kazuha quickly went to correct them. Kinich let them bicker for a few more minutes before redirecting them back to their assignment. Confirming their plans, they packed up early and waited for the last bell, Kinich ignoring Lyney.

The bell rang and Ajaw ran out, Kazuha following behind them less recklessly. Kinich made a move to leave bit felt a hand wrap around his wrist. “Kinich, can we please talk? I know…” Kinich turned to Lyney, the latter’s face looking entirely to earnest and vulnerable for Kinich’s liking. Luckily for Kinich, he was cut off by Mr. Zhongli. “Kinich, I need to see you after class. Lyney, you can wait for him outside, if you need.” Lyney nodded and left the classroom, although Kinich couldn’t tell if he had actually left or not.

“It has come to my attention that you do not have a second emergency contact.” Kinich instantly regretted calling Mr. Zhongli’s interruption lucky. His father had stopped paying his own phone bill and Kinich didn’t even know if he had a job, let alone what the number was. Kinich paid for his own phone bill and had put his number as an emergency contact, but he hadn’t had a second person to put as his second contact.

“Do I really need two? I mean, I don’t get in trouble or anything and the school isn’t exactly dangerous. One should be enough.” Mr. Zhongli didn’t seem to agree and instead pulled out his own phone, typing something in it. Kinich’s phone buzzed from inside his bag, and he felt a greater surge of panic than he thought was possible when talking to his teacher. His teacher ended the call, and his phone stopped buzzing.

“If you were hurt, I don’t think calling yourself would be that helpful, do you agree? I expect you to give me two numbers by next week and they cannot be yours or any of your friends. They must be a responsible adult, and they need to be accessible at all times. Understood?” “Yeah, just… how did you know?” “You’re not the first student to do this, Kinich. Now get going.”
Kinich followed his teacher’s directions and left the class. The hallways were quiet, empty, everyone having already returned home for the day. Kinich stared at the tiles below him as he approached his locker. How was he supposed to find two people as emergency contacts? He didn’t even have one!

“Oh, Kinich! You did so well this week in track. Truly amazing.” Albert ran up to him, something he couldn’t name written in his eyes. “If you’re not busy you should join me around the track. You’re so fit and strong. I wish I could date someone like you.” Albert grabbed his hand, Kinich’s panic turning into genuine fear. “No, I’m busy, I have schoolwork…”

“Aw, come on. School’s so lame, isn’t it? You’re so responsible and mature Kinich.” Kinich tried to pull away, but Albert held his wrist tightly. Kinich tried backing away but Albert only pulled him closer. His breath hit Kinich’s face, and he resisted the urge to throw up. “Come on, Kinich. I have something to show you in my office, if…” Albert pulled him down the hallway as he talked, Kinich growing more anxious as they approached his office. He carried on talking, not letting Kinich get a word in. His grip was firm, he was much stronger than Kinich, being a grown adult and all.

“Mr. Albert, someone’s graffitied the outside wall.” Kinich had never been so relived to see Ajaw. Albert released his wrist, his hand leaving imprints in his skin. Ajaw waited until Albert disappeared before turning back to Kinich. “He’s such a creep. Seriously, though, you okay? He didn’t get to do anything, right?” Kinich nodded. “Th-thank you.” He and Ajaw took the long way around, completely silent. Outside, Kazuha waved them to his old but functioning car.

Ajaw glanced at him for a moment, silently asking him if he still wanted to go. Kinich nodded back, he’d rather be with them than at his dad’s. He still needed to find two emergency contacts too.

Chapter Text

“He won’t talk too meeee.” Lyney slammed his head into the table, Lynette glancing at him disdainfully.

“I’m still not convinced this isn’t somehow your fault.” Lynette continued sipping her tea quietly, watching Lyney whine uselessly like a child. Lyney was about to retort back, insult her, when he got an idea.

“Can you ask Mualani if something happened? Please?” Lyney brought his hands together in a begging motion, trying to do his best ‘puppy dog eyes’ look.

“Why can’t you?” Lyney gave her a knowing smirk, and she scoffed, nevertheless typing in a quick text to Mualani anyways. Anything to get Lyney to stop pouting, Seriously, it had been over a week, it was starting to get annoying.

“She says she doesn’t know, but she’ll ask Kinich as long as you swear you didn’t do something. Okay?” Lyney’s face brightened, and he quickly thanked Lynette before rushing upstairs. Lynette sighed wistfully and tried to get back to her tea, Mualani and her now engaged in a discussion about cats.

Lyney flopped down on his bed hard, knocking off a few pillows and loose history papers. Mualani was great and he had no doubt she would heckle Kinich for gossip as soon as she could, but Lyney needed his own plan. After what he’d seen, he was ninety-nine percent sure Kinich was being abused, and he was sure that Arlecchino at least suspected the same. Plus, he had maybe-sort of-purposefully eavesdropped on his conversation with Zhongli and unlike Kinich, he didn’t think having yourself as an emergency contact was helpful. The only problem was actually getting to talk to him. Class was a no-go, same with lunch. Maybe he could find Kinich during track? He’s usually with Xiao though…

Freminet carefully snuck up behind Lyney, who was so absorbed in his plan to win back Kinich he hadn’t even bothered to close the door when he came in. Reaching forward, Freminet placed his hands on Lyney’s shoulders and shouted ‘boo!’.

“Ah! Freminet, you’re so mean! What do you want?” Freminet let out a quiet laugh and sat down beside Lyney, thinking. After a moment, he turned back to the pining boy and spoke.
“You’re thinking about Kinich, aren’t you? You gonna do something, or what?”

“No…” Freminet smacked Lyney upside the head at his answer, Lyney screaming and shoving Freminet off the bed.

“Hey! Don’t shove me! If you want to get Kinich back, you probably shouldn’t be mean to the people who could help you!” Freminet moved away from Lyney to stand next to the door, out of reach.
“Fine! What’s your big plan anyway?”

“Apologize.” Lyney grabbed one of the remaining pillows off his bed and threw it at Freminet’s head, the pillow instead hitting the wall beside him.
“Missed. Also, rude! Knowing you, it was absolutely your fault anyways! If, by some miracle it isn’t, you should at least talk to him! Get Xiao in on it, have him help you get a chance to talk.” Lyney got up to kick Freminet out, slamming the door as hard as he dared before going back to moping on his bed.

Freminet wasn’t entirely wrong, if he could convince Xiao then he would solve the not-being-able to talk to Kinich part of his problem. But this was Xiao, for crying out loud, the guy was extremely picky about who he talked to and befriended. His best bet was to find a way to convince Xiao that helping him would benefit Kinich but he and Kinich weren’t talking so he didn’t actually know how he was doing.

Think, Lyney, think… Does Xiao know Kinich doesn’t have an emergency contact? No, probably not, besides, he would wonder how Lyney got a hold of that information in the first place. Kinich was talking to two other kids in class, maybe one of them? Although he’s heard that Ajaw was a bit of a troublemaker… Whatever, he’ll try anyway.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Lyney scrolled through Kinich’s following until he found the profile that best fit Ajaw. They had two followers, one of them Kinich and they other Lyney didn’t care to know. He sent Ajaw a text and then proceeded to stare at his phone for five, ten, fifteen minutes. Seriously, what’s taking them so long?

Lyney got up to pace his room, which turned into picking up random shit lying around to reorganizing his unruly binder. Fifty minutes alter, Lyney in the midst of drawing different animals on his homework, his phone buzzed. Discarding his homework, Lyney grabbed his phone and opened Akasha impatiently.

Ajaw
Lyney: Can u help me talk 2 Kinich, pls?
Ajaw: Who r u
Ajaw: Y
Ajaw: Also fuck u
Lyney: I’m Kinich’s friend
Lyney: I js wanna talk but he’s been avoiding me
Ajaw: Y shoud I care
Ajaw: Doubt he’s stil ur friend if he’s avoyding u
Lyney: Pls?
Ajaw: Whitch 1 r u
Lyney: Blond hair, purple eyes?
Ajaw: Wer u the 1 staring at Kinich on Friday
Lyney: I wasn’t staring
Ajaw: Uh huh
Ajaw: If its gona bother Kinich then fine

Lyney was probably more relieved than happy, if he was honest. Ajaw’s spelling was absolutely atrocious, if Kinich wasn’t so patient he would have assumed he probably would’ve gone insane. Still, he did help Lyney so that’s got to count for something. As much as he never wanted to text the delinquent. They refused to tell Lyney what they ere planning, although they did promise not to start a fight, vandalise the school, steal from either Lyney or Kinich or get them in trouble. They were such a headache, honestly.
***

“Okay, you want me to do what, exactly?”

“How stupid are you?! I said, wrap this around you head! And make sure it covers your eyes!” Ajaw had managed to somehow convince both Lyney and Kinich to skip class and was now trying to get the former to blindfold himself. Kinich hadn’t yet appeared, but Ajaw had shown him the texts between the two that confirmed he was coming.

“Do you want to talk to him or not? Put it on before I do it for you!” At the implication of not getting to see Kinich, Lyney fearfully took the bandanna from Ajaw and tied it around his head leaving a tiny gap.

“I can see that, stupid. Put it on properly, Kinich is almost here.” He sighed before tightening it, leaving himself blind to any shenanigans Ajaw might pull. He felt hands on his shoulders as Ajaw led him through the halls, Ajaw’s left hand leaving his shoulder for a moment before the sound of a door opening reached Lyney’s ears.

Lyney stumbled forward, Ajaw having shoved him forcefully. Lyney’s foot snagged on some unknown object on the floor, and he toppled over, flat on his face. He heard a door slam behind him and felt a burst of terror shoot through him when he heard a lock click into place.

Pulling the bandana off, Lyney did his best to take in his surroundings with the limited light available to him. It appeared he was in a supply closet and when he tried the door, he found out it was indeed locked. He had his phone with him but the only people he could really call were Lynette and Freminet and they usually didn’t bring their phones to class. He couldn’t exactly call father without having to explain why he was stuck in the janitor’s closet during class anyways.

The door suddenly flew open, hitting Lyney in the face, knocking him over.

“Ajaw, what are you…” The sudden light blinded Lyney, causing his vision to be further obscured. He felt someone fall on top of him before the door slammed close, the lock clicking into place. Lyney scrambled up quickly, reaching the door far to late to stop Ajaw. His fists hit the door uselessly, his shouts directed at deaf ears. He spit insults at Ajaw although he wasn’t sure they were even still there
“Stop it!” Lyney turned to the figure behind him who had been breathing strangely the entire time. It was… Kinich. Lyney fully turned away from the door and knelt in front of the boy. He wrapped his arms around Kinich without thinking and instead of having the hug reciprocated or having the boy ignore him he was instead met with a knee to the stomach.
“Don’t touch me!” Kinich was strong, that much was clear. Lyney released Kinich to clutch his stomach. After a moment, Lyney’s gaze returned to Kinich. He was breathing rapidly, gulping down air repeatedly without exhaling. At this rate, he was going to pass out.

“Kinich, what’s wrong?”

Chapter Text

Kinich could hear shouting, his father probably. He didn’t remember what had happened before but right now all he could see were the walls of his father’s cupboard; the one he used to shove Kinich in when he was younger, the one underneath the sink. His vision blurred and he was in the basement, everything dark and damp. He hated the basement, he hated enclosed spaces, he hated shouting. Archons, why won’t it stop?

Hands came toward him, and he felt his father wrap his arms around him, trying to crush Kinich. The shouting had stopped but Kinich found this so, so much worse. Without thinking, Kinich jerked his knee upwards, colliding with his father’s stomach. Kinich braced himself for is father’s retaliating blows, covering his head.

“Kinich, what’s wrong?” The voice, the question itself, sounded nothing like his father. Looking up, Kinich squinted in the dark, trying to make out the figure in front of him. He felt a hand come to rest on his knee.

“Breath with me, okay? C’mon, in and out. In… and out…” Despite his still ever-present fear, Kinich let himself forget his father and address his breathing. He hadn’t realized he was breathing irregularly but he found that now he couldn’t get enough. He took huge gulps of air, trying to get the needed oxygen into his system as best as possible.

“Kinich, its okay. Follow my breath, in and out. In… out…” The boy continued with his repetitions, Kinich finally allowing himself to properly breath. After a moment, the boy stopped his instructing and fished around in his pockets.

“Hey, you okay?” Light filled the room and although Kinich couldn’t recognize the space he could tell it wasn’t anywhere in his father’s home. The boy in front of him was… Lyney.

“Lyney?” “Yeah, I’m here.” Despite himself, Kinich let his body relax. Lyney responded to his sudden ease by shifting over beside him. “Are… you okay?” “Yeah, I think I had a… panic attack.” Kinich mumbled the last two words, but Lyney still seemed to understand him otherwise.

“Ajaw… They’re such an idiot. Anyways… mind telling me what happened? On your birthday?” Kinich pulled his knees closer into himself at the memory. Not even Mualani knew, yet here he was, about to tell a boy he had known for only a couple months about his biggest secret.

“What you saw…” Kinich took a deep breath. “…was because of my father.” He turned away from Lyney at the last word, shame coloring his cheeks. Why would Lyney want to be friends with someone who wasn’t even liked by their parents? Who couldn’t do something as simple as keep himself out of trouble, someone who couldn’t behave well enough to avoid their fathers’ beatings? Someone who…

“Oh, my Archons… I just… I’m so sorry.” Kinich’s attention refocused on the last word. He was… sorry? For what? “You could stay with us; I’m sure father wouldn’t mind.” “Stay… with you? Why would I need to?” Lyney was silent for a moment, his expression downcast. Suddenly, Lyney reached forward, pulling Kinich into his arms. Kinich suppressed a flinch but quickly found himself melting into Lyney’s hold, pulling his own arms around the other boy.

“Kinich… if you won’t agree to leave can you at least promise to call me if you need help? Or Arlecchino? Please?” Lyney pulled away from the hug, the feeling of his arms around Kinich still tingling on his skin. The sudden elapse of warmth made Kinich want to cry but he made sure his face remained apathetic. “I… Fine.” Lyney smiled at Kinich’s words. Kinich thought it was the most joyous he had ever seen a person and he had the brief idea that he would be happy if he could make sure that smile remained a common expression of Lyney’s.

“I know this may be weird but… I overheard you the other day. I’m sure Arlecchino would be willing to act as your emergency contact and she has a friend, Mavuika, who is probably just as willing, if not more so.” As much as Kinich wanted to decline the offer, he couldn’t. His father wasn’t going to quit drinking, and he didn’t know anyone else. “Fine, but I doubt it’ll ever be needed.” Lyney smiled and hugged Kinich again, Kinich returning the gesture more quickly this time around.
***
Kinich pulled himself out of bed with great effort, the urge to lie back down and go to sleep was strong but nevertheless he managed to get up. His head felt like someone had repeatedly hit it with a hammer and his father hadn’t bothered to buy either Tylenol or food. Kinich had been forced to survive the past few days off of the food Arlecchino made. He had long since given up trying to return it, but he always made sure to properly thank her.

Kinich’s headache was only made worse when he realized he had track that morning. Despite the fact that it was raining, Iansan still made sure everyone did the full workout, her shouts mixing in with the rain. Xiao seemed to notice Kinich’s fatigue but continued with the workout silently, letting Kinich catch a break. Unfortunately, it seemed everyone else missed the memo.

“Kinich, not to be rude, but you don’t look so well.” “I agree.” Lynette and Freminet had finished their assignments early and had come to join Kinich and Xiao, Lyney talking to one of the instructors. “I’m fine.” Lynette and Freminet threw suspicious glances at each other. They clearly didn’t believe him, but they chose not to bring up the subject again.

“All right, since most of you are done, I’ll end practice here. Have a good day.” Iansan let everyone off and everyone quickly started packing up. Xiao, Freminet and Lynette left to go to class and Lyney walked with him to homeroom.

Kinich smiled and nodded along but truthfully, he couldn’t hear a word the boy was saying. His class was loud, their voices reverberating in his head. Everything sounded much louder than it should be and yet he still couldn’t understand anything anyone else was saying.

Kinich pulled his hood over himself and laid down on his desk. After homeroom they still had Mr. Zhongli for another two periods so at least he wouldn’t have to get up and move yet. He heard Mr. Zhongli say something to the class and everyone gradually quieted down, and he started the lesson. Kinich tried to sit up and follow along but he found he could barely read the board in front of him, his eyesight blurring and the temptation of falling asleep making it incredibly hard to focus.

After who knows how long, Kinich raised his head to find his classroom empty. Class had ended without him noticing and Lyney had already packed up his stuff and was waiting by the door. Kinich rushed to meet him, and they quickly walked to their next class, probably already late. Lyney kept shooting him glances throughout the day but refrained from saying anything.

Kinich had another hour before lunch, where he could hopefully find a place to sit quietly and catch a break. He hadn’t packed a lunch; there hadn’t been anything in the house to eat for the last few days.

He heard the bell ring, the sound making his ears hurt. Lyney waited while he packed up and the two headed to their last class before lunch. Kinich could feel himself swaying and suddenly he was on the ground. Lyney was kneeling in front of him, but he couldn’t make out what he was saying. Lyney said something and then he was gone, leaving Kinich on the floor. He tried to stand up but stopped when he felt a wave of nausea roll over him.

Mr. Zhongli appeared from around the hall, Lyney with him. He rarely saw him show any emotion, yet Mr. Zhongli was now donning a face of worry. The both of them knelt in front of him and Lyney slowly raised his hand to cover Kinich’s forehead. His face only grew more worried and Kinich felt a knot of guilt wrap around his stomach. Lyney didn’t deserve him, shouldn’t have to deal with someone as quiet and boring as Kinich.

Lyney wrapped an arm around Kinich and hoisted him up, Mr. Zhongli leading them away. Kinich rested his head against Lyney’s shoulder, closing his eyes briefly. After a moment, he was lowered onto a chair, Lyney beside him.

“Kinich, what’s wrong? What hurts?” Lyney’s voice sounded distance, foreign but Kinich was just glad he could hear it. When Lyney realized Kinich wasn’t going to answer back he decided to continue talking. “Mr. Zhongli is calling your emergency contacts. Either Arlecchino or Mavuika will pick you up, okay?” Kinich was too tired to give Lyney an answer so instead he simply nodded, letting himself nod off against Lyney’s shoulder.

Some time later, a woman with long red hair and dark brown skin entered the office and walked up to Kinich. “Hello, Kinich. I’m Arlecchino’s friend, Mavuika. I’m here to pick you up.” “You don’t have to. I’m fine.” The woman smiled brightly, ignoring his words and wrapping her arm around Kinich and pulling his other arm around her shoulder. Kinich was too tired to fight and let her lead him away.

They exited the building and Kinich was pushed into a car. He buckled his seatbelt and rested his head against the window as the car drove away. He was so tired, his head felt like it was going to collapse, and he was sure he was close to passing out. It was a short drive and Kinich was quickly pulled out of the car and into the woman’s house. He felt himself being laid down upon a soft surface and blankets piled on top of him. Kinich finally let himself rest, curled up in warm blankets.

Chapter Text

“Is he gonna be, okay?” Kinich had left with Mavuika, half conscious.

“I’m sure he’s fine. You, however, need to get to class.” Mr. Zhongli replied tiredly while trying to usher Lyney away from the retreating Kinich. As much as Lyney wanted to follow Kinich and ignore class, his father would be mad, and he really didn’t need that.

Lyney watched Kinich turn the corner before he set off for his next class, math. Suffice to say, he wasn’t a fan even when Kinich was there but now that he had left Lyney found it unbearable. On top of that, they were doing a group project! Lyney debated hiding in the bathroom, he hardly knew his classmates. Sure, it was his own fault for never speaking to them and only hanging out with Kinich, but could you blame him?!

“Hey, dimwit! You, me and Kinich are partners now so do your work!” Ajaw slammed the worksheet onto the table, making Lyney’s water bottle tremble. He glowered up at them, Ajaw returning the look easily.

“Why? You locked us in a closet, remember?!” “Pssh, like you cared. You wanted to talk to Kinich, and I made that happen. Besides, that was a month ago and Kinich has already forgiven me, as he should! You should follow suit.”

Okay, yes, it had been a while ago but still! Friends don’t lock each other in closets, certainly not for over two hours!

Lyney silently stewed in his anger as Kinich flopped down beside him and began doing their portion of the work. If they thought Lyney was just going to willfully obey them, they were wrong! He sat and stared pointedly at the clock, taking a good few minutes to figure out the time. Truthfully, he was terrible at using analog clocks, he usually just asked Kinich for the time. But Kinich wasn’t here, unfortunately and he was stuck with Ajaw.

“You know if you don’t complete the work you’ll bring down Kinich’s grade down too, right? Where is he anyways?” Lyney hated that they had a point. He quickly took up his work, mad at Ajaw for gaining the upper hand. After a moment, Ajaw dropped their work and started poking Lyney with pencil, waiting for him to answer their question.
“You’re really annoying, you know that, right!?” Ajaw continued, poking him, unbothered. “He’s sick, ok? He almost passed out in the hall earlier and Xiao told me to watch out of him. Mavuika took him to her house.” Ajaw retracted their pencil, thinking of another question to ask him.

“Who’s Mavuika?” Shit. Would Kinich care if Ajaw knew? It wasn’t overtly private but having your friend’s father and her coworker as on your emergency contact list instead of your parents wasn’t exactly normal. Should he tell the truth? Ajaw was his friend plus they might not even care to ask why Kinich hadn’t listed his parents.
“Mavuika… is my fathers’ coworker. She’s one of his emergency contacts.” “Why not his parents?” Of course, Ajaw had to be difficult, that was their entire personality. They probably hadn’t even meat to be annoying, but Lyney still resented them for it.

“Ask him yourself.” Lyney turned back to his work and tried his best to ignore Ajaw as they continued to ignore their work on favor of talking his ear off and asking a million annoying questions. If he hadn’t already known how patient, kind and forgiving Kinich was, he would have considered it a miracle that they were still friends. As soon as class ended, Lyney rushed out of the class to lunch.

Lyney found his place at the back of the cafeteria with his siblings, Lumine and her girlfriend and Kazuha. Lyney answered everyone’s questions about Kinich quickly and began eating, sat I front of Lumine and Ayaka.

He had never noticed before but now that he didn’t have Kinich to talk to he could clearly see how smitten Lumine and Ayaka were for each other. Lumine was the chattier of the two, Ayaka watching her with eyes so full of love it almost made Lyney jealous. Whenever Lumine wasn’t talking to someone else she would turn around and look at Ayaka, speaking to her and asking her things in a hushed whisper. He wondered if he and Kinich could be like that someday. It’d be nice, probably. Unless Lyney ruined it but right now they didn’t have anything to ruin.

“Lyney, what’re you planning to get your boyfriend?” Lumine smirked in Ayaka’s direction as Lyney face flushed.

“I don’t have a boyfriend, you know that. Not all of us are so lucky you know.” Lyney hoped Lumine would move on but to no such luck. This was Lumine, after all.
“You’re right, I’m probably the luckiest girl in the world to have such an amazing girlfriend. Still, I think everyone here knows you like Kinich. And Xiao and Ajaw. It’s a surprise he doesn’t know at this point but he’s Kinich so.” Lyney mind blanked at her accusation, fumbling for the right words to say and failing. Giving up, Lyney groaned and plunked his head down on the table. Curse Lumine and her ease at spilling Lyney’s secrets.

The bell rand overhead and Lyney instantly bolted up and rushed out of the cafeteria, leaving everyone behind. Only a few more hours.
***
Lyney threw his bag onto the couch and sprinted upstairs, leaping onto his bed. Their school had a strict no-phone policy and Lyney had walked into way too many poles to risk texting and walking at the same time. Also, it was cold, and he had lost his gloves again.

Redirecting, his train of thought, Lyney pondered for a moment before sending a quick message to Kinich and then his father. After a few minutes, Arlecchino sent him Mavuika’s number and Lyney added it to his contact list. Normally, Lyney was a bit fearful when texting random adults, but he found almost no anxiety as he texted the women, solely focused on getting news on Kinich’s wellbeing.

Mavuika
Lyney: I’m Lyney, Kinich’s friend
Lyney: How is he?
Mavuika: He’s been asleep since he got here but I’ll make sure to get him to text you when he’s feeling better
Mavuika: Has he received any homework today? I can come and pick it up for him
Lyney sent her the details on Kinich’s classes and buried his face back into his pillow. He should probably work on his won homework, but their teacher had done a terrible job of explaining it and Lyney had only been half listening. Usually, he just asked Kinich to explain it, he did a way better job than any of his teachers.

Lyney rolled off the bed, landing harshly on his carpeted floor. He also had to clean his room, but it could probably survive another week. Besides, he already had an even better idea… making a get-well basket for Kinich! Mavuika was coming later on to pick up Kinich’s homework, giving him a few hours to prepare whatever Kinich may need to feel better while he’s out of school.

Lyney jumped up and sprinted out of his room, smashing open the door to Freminet’s room, across from his.

“Freminet, I need your help making a gift for Kinich!” Freminet jumped at the noise, turning to glare at Lyney with a face of pure annoyance. Lyney grabbed his sleeve and pulled him up, ushering him downstairs while he got Lynette.

Unlike with Freminet, Lyney knocked first before barging in, Lynette sitting at her desk knowingly. His father had raised him to always knock on girl’s doors’ although Lyney rarely gave her much time to answer. Instead of pulling her sleeve, Lyney simply waited while she packed up what she was doing, evidently having heard Lyney’s interaction with Freminet.

“We could probably make one for Mualani too, have Kinich give it to her once he’s better.” Lyney couldn’t resist giving her his best “shit-eating” grin, as Lumine called it. Lynette retorted by shoving him out of the room forcefully, nevertheless following him to the kitchen. Although Lyney better than to assign her to any task involving electronics he was sure there was still something she could do.

“Okay, we have until 17:00, when Mavuika comes to pick up Kinich’s homework!” Lynette and Freminet traded glances, seemingly coming to the same conclusion.
“It’s honesty a miracle Kinich hasn’t figured out you like him. You’re probably the worst out of all of us when it comes to hiding your crush.” Lynette remarked before entering “Standby Mode” as Lyney spluttered for words and Freminet broke into quiet laughter.

Chapter Text

“Kinich, are you awake?” Kinich felt a comforting hand come to rest on his head and slowly opened his eyes. The woman from before; the one with the fiery red hair and beautiful brown skin, was crouching next to him with worry in her eyes.

“Oh, good, you’re finally awake. Your friends made you a gift and I’ve brought your homework for later.” Kinich sat up and took the gift from her hands, carefully opening the bag. Inside were three cards, an ice pack, a couple cans of ginger ale, a container of presumably homemade cookies and a small plush cat that Kinich remembered seeing on Lyney’s bed the last time he was over.

“Thank you for bringing this for me and for caring for me. What can I do to repay you?” Mavuika chuckled before answering; “I’m just doing my part, helping out a colleague. You don’t need to pay me back; it’s really no trouble.”

“I don’t want to be in debt to you; I’m sure there’s something I can do.” Mavuika sighed at his answer, Kinich wondering if he had bothered her.

“You’re really set on this? Fine, how about you help with the chores when you’re feeling better? For now, though, you need rest and food. Speaking of…” Mavuika retrieved a bowl of soup from one of the nearby side tables and set it on his lap. A yellow sticky note was attached to the bowl reading “Get well soon – Lyney, Freminet & Lynette”. Mavuika got up and entered one of the other rooms of the house, leaving Kinich alone. He needed to figure out a way to repay them but right now he was starving, he hadn’t had a proper meal in at least two days.

Kinich raised the bowl to his mouth and drank slowly, careful to not waste a single drop. After a moment, Mavuika returned with two pillows and a mountain of blankets in her arms.
“Since you’re sick, why don’t we watch a movie? You’re choice.” Kinich finished the bowl hastily, setting it down on the end table beside him.

“That’s not necessary, I’m sure you have plenty of other, better things to do with your time. What you’ve done is already enough.” Mavuika seemed to expect this answer because she speedily retorted back.

“Actually, I’ve finished all the household chores today and my works all done so I’ve got nothing else to do. Besides, I think we should have a little boding time and I’m curious to see what movie you choose.” She tossed the remote to him and settled herself down another nearby couch. She had left half the blankets and a pillow on Kinich’s couch, taking the rest for herself.

Kinich hesitated but turned the tv on anyway, flicking through the options while watching Mavuika’s reaction. He didn’t of many shows besides the ones Lyney, Xiao and Mualani had told him about, much less what a full-grown adult would like.

Kinich finally chose a movie when he saw the corners of her mouth turn upwards in a hesitant smile. It was a movie made in Fontaine, by a producer he had heard Lyney speak highly of – Furina de Fontaine.

Kinich made himself comfortable at Mavuika insistence and they started the movie, the living room lights turned off.

Under normal circumstances, Kinich would likely have enjoyed the movie but the bright screen, loud voices and his earlier headache all made his head feel like it was being hit ceaselessly with a gong. He pulled the blankets around himself, covering his ears with his hands below the blanket so as not to alert Mavuika. He burrowed his face into the pillow, but he could still hear the movie all to clearly and anytime he opened his eyes he was immediately assaulted with the bright lights emanating from the screen.

He heard Mavuika get up and shut the tv off and when he opened his eyes Mavuika was crouching down in front of him again. She reached a hand toward him, pausing when he flinched before resting her hand in his hair.

“Sorry, I probably should have thought that through a little more. Do you need water? Advil?” Kinich nodded and she swiftly got up and left the room, reappearing with a glass of water and a container of Advil. He took one pill, and she set the bottle aside, telling him not to exceed the limit.

“You should have told me it was giving you a headache. Go to sleep now, you need rest.” Mavuika left and Kinich hugged the plush from Lyney until he fell asleep.
***
Kinich wearily opened his eyes to the sounds of cooking and Mavuika humming to herself in the kitchen. Sunlight streamed through the room, illuminating the mess that was left behind from last night. The blankets and pillows she had brought down were piled on the couch next to him and the throw pillows that had once decorated the sofas had been tossed onto the carpet.

Kinich swayed a little when he got up, but he still managed to keep himself upright and silently fold all the blankets and stack everything up in a pile on the couch. He began placing the decorative pillows in their places when Mavuika entered the room, two plates in her hands.

“You really are stubborn. C’mon, lets eat at the table.” Mavuika nodded towards the dining room, Kinich following after her. Kinich sat down and Mavuika placed his late down, sitting across from him. She began eating but when she noticed Kinich hadn’t followed suit she gestured at his plate until he finally joined her.

Kinich was hungry enough he would’ve taken anything she made but he could still tell that she was an incredible cook. He resisted the urge to finish off the plate as quickly as possible, instead watching Mavuika and matching her pace. They ate in silence for a few moments, Kinich savoring the taste of real food in his mouth, unaware of Mavuika watching him.

“Kinich, why didn’t your parents pick you up yesterday? Surely, they would prefer you be at home?” Kinich slowly put down his fork, averting his eyes from Mavuika’s gaze as he tried to come up with an answer.
“My father, he… he left on a business trip recently. He isn’t home.” “And your mother?” Kinich flinched at the question, his brain trying to come up with an answer. “She… she left when I was younger… when I was five.” He lowered his head, staring at his food while Mavuika sat quietly, thinking over what he had said. She got up from the table and walked toward him, Kinich flinching when he felt arms around him. She was hugging him, holding him gently, safely.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you. Please, you can stay with me as long as you need.” Kinich nodded into her hair and returned the hug, the two of them staying that way until their food had grown cold.
***
After several days, Kinich was finally well enough for Mavuika to let him go home. He still had everything Lyney, and his siblings had given him the cookies saved for later. Mavuika had dropped him off, telling him he could come over at any time.

The house was blissfully empty, his father likely having gone off to drink at a friend’s or the bar. Kinich felt a sudden wave of sadness wash over him. He hadn’t been home in four days, yet his father hadn’t called or texted him and, in all likelihood, probably had hoped that Kinich was dead. Mavuika had been so kind and Kinich wasn’t even her kid, just someone she had been forced to take care of.
Arlecchino was nice, she often prepared extra meals for him and had even given him a birthday gift, yet his father had completely forgotten the occasion. It wasn’t anything unexpected, but it still hurt.
He missed his mom and his dad, although he knew he only missed the nice version of him, the one who used to buy chocolates for Kinich whenever he won a lot of money. He missed Lyney too, it had been several days since he’d last seen him. He also missed Xiao, Lumine, Freminet, Lynette. And Mualani, Kachina and Ajaw. Kinich was rarely lonely but now, standing in his empty house, everything deadly silent and still, he felt so lonely he could cry.

Kinich took a shower and curled up in bed, the plushie Lyney gave him lying beside him. Kinich wrapped his arms around his pillow, the plushie tucked under his arm. Although Kinich would deny it, even to himself, he could almost imagine that he was holding the boy instead of a child’s toy and a deflated pillow.

Chapter Text

As soon as Lyney caught sight of Kinich, he started sprinting down the halls, half tackling, half hugging him. Kinich slammed into the lockers from the force of Lyney’s hug, a few other students staring at them questioningly. Lyney pulled back to stare at Kinich’s face, the urge to kiss him invading his mind.

“You’re okay, right? How was your time at Mavuika’s?” Lyney launched question after question at Kinich until they reached their homeroom. As Kinich entered the classroom, Ajaw sprung up from behind the door, scaring Kinich.

“Hey, dumbass. Where have you been? I’ve had to spend the entire week with Lyney, it was exhausting!” Ajaw grabbed Kinich’s arms and began violently shaking him back and forth, making Lyney laugh. Mr. Zhongli started the class and everyone took their seats.

“Welcome back, Kinich. Since winter break is coming up, I decided to go easy on you for the remainder of the school semester. To make sure everyone doesn’t burn the school down we have decided to play a couple games of dodgeball with the entire grade. The winning class will receive a prize although I don’t know what it is yet.”

Mr. Zhongli escorted their class to the gymnasium, Lyney catching eyes with Freminet and Lynette. Ajaw seemed excited for the game, bragging about how they were going to demolish the other teams. Kinich sat, unimpressed, listening to Ajaw’s rant.

The first game was Lynette’s class against Lumine’s. Lumine seemed to enjoy the game, dodging and throwing balls at the other players. Lynette, on the other hand, had gone into “Standby Mode” and was leaning against a wall, watching her fellow classmates get attacked by Lumine’s class.

Lynette’s class started dwindling in the numbers and soon Lynette became one of the remaining players left o the court. Lumine’s class was also falling short, although they had better players than Lumine’s. Kinich was cheering for Lynette, Ajaw screaming at Lumine to “smash their faces in”. Across the gym, Lyney could see Freminet reading a book, completely uninterested.

Lyney looked away from Freminet and saw that only Lumine and Lynette remained. Lumine held a ball in her hands, Lynette standing unamused in front of her. Lyney joined in the cheering, calling Lumine’s name.

Lumine threw the ball, hitting Lynette in the chest. Everyone cheered and the teachers ushered the next two classes onto the court. Kinich stood up, pulling Lyney up with him. Ajaw positioned themself at the front and started throwing the balls as soon as the whistle blew. Kinich dodged a few stray dodgeballs but otherwise seemed uninterested. Lyney watched Ajaw throw a few more dodgeballs at the other team’s faces but eventually grew bored, grabbing Kinich and pulling him into the hallway.

“What are we doing? Lyney, do you really need to skip class a week before school ends?” Lyney giggled, pulling Kinich along with him towards the locker room.

“C’mon, I’ve got something for you! Close your eyes.” “The last time I let someone do this, I got shoved inside a closet for two hours.” Lyney made a face, Kinich eventually relenting. Lyney took off his jacket and tied it around Kinich’s head, grabbing his arms and leading him into the locker room.

Lyney sat Kinich down on one of the benches, opening his p.e locker and retrieving something from inside. Lyney sat down in front of Kinich, the object concealed behind his back.
“Okay… you can take off the hoodie now.” Instead of taking the hoodie off, Kinich pulled the hoodie over himself, making Lyney blush. He pulled the object from behind his back, placing it in Kinich’s hands.

“I was wondering… if you wanted to be my boyfriend?” Lyney carefully scrutinized Kinich’s face, preparing himself for rejection.

“You… want me to be your boyfriend?” Lyney nodded, his heart sinking. Did Kinich not like him back? Did he ruin their friendship.

“Yes.” Kinich opened the box Lyney had gifted him, revealing a gold necklace with the letter L dangling from the chain. His face broke into a delighted grin, Lyney taking the necklace and fastening it around Kinich’s neck. He did his best to capture the sight permanently in his mind, Kinich wearing his hoodie, his new necklace positioned perfectly on his chest.

“I can’t believe you’d want to date someone like me.” Kinich’s voice was quiet, hesitant. Lyney pulled him forward, squeezing him into the tightest hug possible.

“Of course I’d want to date you! I’m lucky you don’t already have a partner.” Kinich laughed at Lyney’s remark, pulling away from the hug just enough so that their faces were mere centimetres apart. Lyney’s gaze shifted from Kinich’s attire to his lips, soft and slightly open. Before he could bridge the gap, Kinich did it himself. The kiss was short, Lyney barely registering it before he felt Kinich pull away.

“Sorry…I’m sorry, I should’ve asked. I can’t believe I did that.” Kinich turned away from him, holding his face in embarrassment. His brown skin had taken on a reddish hue, Kinich biting his lip. He kept muttering apologies, avoiding Lyney’s gaze.

There were probably a million other ways Lyney could have calmed him down but instead he reached forward, cupping Kinich’s face and kissing him softly. They pulled apart and Lyney reached under his shirt, pulling out his own golden necklace, the letter K replacing Kinich’s L. Kinich smiled at the sight.

“We should probably go back to class now.” Lyney pulled Kinich from the bench and the two walked down the empty halls, holding hands, till they reached the gym. Lyney turned to Kinich, tucking his boyfriend’s necklace into his hoodie and then his own. The two entered the gymnasium to see Ajaw sulking on one of the benches while Xiao’s class played against Lumine’s.

“What did you do this time?” “You’re lucky I missed you, otherwise I would’ve pummeled you for that question. The teachers banned me from playing cause I kept aiming for people’s faces.” Kinich and Ajaw continued bickering, although anyone could tell that Kinich was just doing it for fun.

Unbeknownst to him, Lynette and Freminet had snuck up behind him, Kinich catching sight of the two but choosing to stay silent.

“Boo!” Freminet shoved Lyney forward, knocking him into Kinich. Lynette, Freminet and Ajaw started laughing, Kinich quickly joining them. Lyney felt his face redden, his hands fumbling for a moment before pulling Kinich and himself up. Ajaw stood up from the bench and grabbed the hood of the jacket Kinich was wearing, pulling his necklace out from under Lyney’s hoodie.

“Lyney finally confessed, didn’t…” Kinich kicked Ajaw in the nuts causing the other to let go of the necklace and stumble backward. Kinich turned around, knocking into Lyney, who placed their hands on Kinich’s arms.

“Hey, what was that for?! Just cause I mentioned your new boyfriend? You could’ve just told me you wanted to keep it a secret.” Ajaw crossed their arms, clearly upset. “You were choking me.” Ajaw’s face softened at his words. “Sorry.” They hung their head, one arm clinging onto their sleeve. The group stood still for a few awkward seconds before Freminet finally changed the subject.

“So… You finally confessed? Xiao’s gonna be so pissed he lost the bet.” Lyney turned sharply, glaring at Freminet. “Yes, we’re dating but we want to keep it a secret for now. And what do you mean ‘he lost the bet’? Has everyone been betting on us?!” Lyney glared at each of his siblings, turning around to face Ajaw as well.

“I mean… basically everyone knew already. Father told me she was siding with you, if that’s any better. Basically everyone was betting on who would confess first.” Lyney glared at his siblings, trying his best to put as much anger as possible into his eyes.

“What about you and Mualani, huh? You haven’t confessed to her yet!” Lyney smirked as Lynette’s face grew flushed and hot. For once he had the upper hand in the argument.

“I’m going to confess over winter break. Besides, I think that’s way better than confessing during gym class.” Lyney sent one final glare before grabbing Kinich’s hand and pulling him towards Ayaka and Kazuha.

“Were all of you betting on us?!” Lyney sat beside the two, waiting for a reply. Kazuha and Ayaka exchanged glances, like deer in headlights.

“Lyney, just let it go. We should be cheering on Xiao.” Lyney finally relented, quieting down while Kinich, Ayaka and Kazuha cheered for Xiao. While the three of them were focused on Xiao, Lyney’s eyes were trained on Kinich. The game ended and Lumine rushed up to Ayaka, happy to have won her game.

“Ayaka… Can I have a kiss for winning my game?” Ayaka laughed at Lumine’s request but gave her a quick peck on the cheek anyway, Lumine’s smile growing ever wider. Lyney smiled at the sight, turning to Kinich, who was enveloped in a conversation with Xiao.

He bent forward, landing a kiss on Kinich’s cheek. Kinich dropped his conversation with Xiao, surprised at the gesture. Lyney could hear the others gasp, Xiao and Lumine happily surprised. Archons, he loved Kinich.

Chapter Text

Kinich was awakened by his phone going off, Mualani’s name flashing across the screen. He quickly grabbed it, holding his breath to best hear any movements that would tell him if his father had woken up or not. After a moment, he answered the call, plugging his earbuds in to listen to Mualani’s voice.

“Mualani, it’s three am, why are you calling?” Kinich curled into himself, burying his face in his pillow to avoid the bright glare of his phone screen.

“Sorry, I just… I don’t know, I just really needed to talk.” Mualani sniffled, grabbing Kinich’s attention. Her late-night calls were by no means rare, but it was usually because she couldn’t sleep or because she had thought up some new idea that she would eventually forget in the morning. She had never called because she was upset.

“No, no, it’s okay. I was already up, don’t worry. What’s wrong?” He was lying, of course but Mualani didn’t notice.

“It’s going to sound really stupid but… Lynette confessed to me. She and I were talking and suddenly she just, like… told me? I like her a lot, she’s super nice and fun to hang out with but… not like that. I thought we were friends, but she seemed to think I liked her, and I haven’t replied back, and I probably hurt her feelings. I don’t know what to do.” Kinich was silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts. He had thought their feelings were mutual and so had Lyney. Maybe it was because of how intimate Mualani was with her friends? She hugged Kinich and Kachina often, but he knew that’s just how she was. Lynette had only seen her with her other friends once, she didn’t know how Mualani acted.

“If you don’t like her, then just tell her. Lynette wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t like her back and you don’t want to be in that kind of relationship either. Lynette will probably still want to be friends with you but if you lie to her than you’ll just end up hurting both of you.”

“Yeah, I know. Its just, I SHOULD like her, y’know? She’s nice and we get along great, but I just can’t. I’ve never been able to see past being friends, it doesn’t happen. I want to like her, I want to like somebody at least, but its never happened.”

“What about that guy in eighth grade? From your math class?” He heard Mualani sigh heavily into her phone before she spoke.

“I never really like him. Kachina had just gotten her first crush, and she kept asking me if I had one, what it felt like, if they liked me. I just chose a random guy because I didn’t wanna admit that I’d never had one. He was handsome, I could tell but I never felt anything towards him at all.” The two of them drifted off into silence, each dissecting Mualani’s previous words. Kinich was tired but he could tell Mualani wasn’t done yet, so he let her compose herself while he waited.

“Do you think something’s wrong with me? I kissed a guy once, in nineth grade but it was nothing like anyone had told me. It felt weird and wrong. I don’t know if I’m capable of loving someone like that at all. I love romance movies; I understand that sometimes people can just meet one another and fall in love and have all these crazy feelings for one another but I don’t.”

“You don’t need to fall in love with someone to be close to them, Mualani. No matter what, me, Kachina and Lynette will always be your friend even if they find their own partners. Loving others platonically is enough, you don’t need romance to complete your life or make you perfect. You’re not required to fall in love with anybody, okay?”

“Alright.” Mualani seemed to have clamed down, her voice had almost returned to its usual tone. Kinich pulled his knees to his chest, shutting his eyes as he listened to Mualani’s breathe through his earbuds. He heard the creaking of a door and assumed it was one of Mualani’s parents.

Kinich sat bolt upright as his door flew open, yanking out his earbuds and disconnecting the call. His dad was standing in his doorway, clearly mad. He grabbed Kinich by the arm, dragging him up forcefully.

“Why the fuck are you calling some bitch at three am!”

“She’s not…” Kinich’s face stung painfully from the force of his father's hand. He was dragged out of his room, almost tripping as his father pulled him down the stairs. His dad yanked their backdoor open, pushing Kinich outside. He slipped on the snow, his head hitting the railing surrounding their back deck.

“Happy Christmas.” His dad slammed the door shut, locking the door a moment later. Kinich rubbed his aching head, his hands coming away bloody. He was kneeling in the snow, paralyzed as his body shook from the cold. After a moment, he stood up, wiping the blood on his hoodie. All the doors and windows were surely locked and even if he found a way back in his dad would just throw him out again, or worse. He couldn’t stay out here either, he was only wearing a hoodie and pajama pants, his feet bare.

Mavuika. He could to Mavuika’s house, he remembered where she lived from last time. She lived closer to him than any of his friends plus she had been nice to him the first time they met.

Kinich left the yard, trying his best to form a map in his mind’s eye of how to get to Mavuika’s. His feet hurt terribly, quickly growing numb as snow continued to fall. His hoodie was getting soaked and the hood did little to keep his ears warm. The streetlights overhead cast circles of light over the street, the snow creating a beautiful white blanket over the cars and houses around him. Everything was perfectly soft, save for his footprints and the bits of snow he would occasionally shake from his hoodie. It was beautiful but incredibly cold, Kinich shaking violently as he walked. ‘One more step’ he repeated.

***
Mavuika’s house was bright, Christmas lights attached to her gutters and beside her windows. He felt a pit of guilt drop into his stomach. He didn’t want to interrupt her break, didn’t want to wake her up, especially after how kind she had been. Christmas Eve was tomorrow; she likely needed the sleep to prepare. She seemed like the type of woman to make food for the occasion or stay up till midnight or host a party. And here he was, ruining her Christmas.

Kinich stood in front of her house for a moment, the cold creeping in further and further. He finally gathered himself enough to move, knocking quietly. The house remained dark and quiet, Kinich knocking louder after a moment. This seemed to get her attention, lights flicking on, the sound of someone descending the stairs and approaching the door. The lock clicked and the door opened, revealing a tall man he had never seen before.

“Who are you?” Kinich opened his mouth, finding nothing to say before closing it again. Was he at the wrong house? Mavuika hadn’t strung up Christmas lights the last time he’d been there, plus he had walked on foot, without a gps.

He heard a second pair of footsteps and saw a wave of long, red hair appear before the man was pushed aside and Kinich was enveloped in a crushing hug.

“Oh my Archons, Kinich, what happened?” Mavuika pulled away from him to place a hand on his cheek, the other pulling back his hair to look at the cut on his forehead. The man behind her cleared his throat, a look of befuddlement etched on his face.

“Capitano, this is Kinich. I’ll explain later. Can you set up the living room?” Capitano glanced at Kinich warily but listened to Mavuika anyway. She pulled him inside, shutting the door and guiding him upstairs.

“I think I have a first aid kit somewhere.” Mavuika sat Kinich down on the edge of the bathtub, pulling open drawers and cupboards hastily as she searched for the kit, not bothering to close them afterward. Finding the kit, Mavuika knelt on the ground and began cleaning Kinich’s wound, a look of pure concentration obvious in her features. Capitano appeared in the doorway, carrying a pair of clothes and a blanket, passing them to Kinich.

“You don’t have any other injuries, right?” Kinich nodded, lying to her. Her and Capitano left, allowing Kinich to get dressed in private. When he was done, he returned to the living room, Mavuika and Capitano halting their conversation as he approached. The fireplace was lit, and blankets and pillows had been piled on the couches. The clothes Capitano had given him were soft and warm, the blanket covering his bare arms and the bruises on them. Mavuika pulled him onto the couch, hugging him tightly.

“We’re all tired so we’ll save the talking for later. I’ll be right across from you and Capitano will be upstairs, okay?”

“You don’t have to. I’m sure you’d rather sleep in your own bed, and you’ve already been so kind to me.” Mavuika’s smile dropped, her arm going up to hit him. Kinich flinched away, Mavuika stopping before instead coming to rest her hand on Kinich’s head. She tousled his hair lightly, being careful not to touch his bandages.

“Of course I’d rather stay with you. It’ll be like a sleepover, just you and me!” She smiled and Kinich reluctantly agreed. The two of them settled down, Capitano turning off the lights before heading upstairs.

Her house was warm and Kinich quickly felt himself growing more and more tired, the previous events of the evening catching up to him. Mavuika was stretched across the opposite couch, letting out a yawn every so often.

“Mavuika?” Kinich’s hesitant voice asked, half-asleep.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks… for… everything.” Kinich fell asleep before he could receive an answer, unaware of the bright smile donning Mavuika’s face.

Chapter Text

“Kids, change into proper clothes, Mavuika and Capitano are coming over.” Lyney, Freminet and Lynette were all wearing pajamas and sweaters, watching Lynette sulk over being rejected. Lyney was exhausted, Lynette having woken him and Freminet to vent about her unrequited love and watch movies. They had all slept in Lyney’s room, Lynette forcing them to watch Raikou of the Dragons till they all eventually passed out.

Lyney reluctantly followed Lynette and Freminet upstairs, throwing clothes out of his closet haphazardly, trying to find an outfit. Arlecchino was hosting a Christmas Eve dinner for the family and Mavuika, who was bringing her boyfriend. Lyney didn’t hate them, per se, but he would rather watch terrible movies and lounge in his pajamas.
He heard knocking on his door, no doubt Arlecchino (she was the only one to ever knock).

“Lyney, Mavuika is also bringing Kinich so…”

“Wait, really?” Lyney pulled open the door as quickly as he could, nearly tripping over his own feet. If Kinich was there, that would make everything a whole lot more interesting. He hadn’t told Arlecchino they were dating but she seemed to approve of him, plus Kinich already knew her.

“Kinich is coming over? Why is he with Mavuika and not his own family?” Lynette appeared, having heard the two from her bedroom. She had a point though, naturally.
“Mavuika told me he showed up last night. He was soaking wet and freezing from the snow, Capitano and Mavuika helped him warm up. She hasn’t told me anything else, however.” Lyney and Lynette exchanged glances, both of them concerned for the boy. After a moment, Arlecchino and Lynette descended the stairs to begin dinner preparations, leaving Lyney alone. Lyney supposed he was going to have to wait to hear the story from Kinich first.
***
When the doorbell finally rang, Lyney was the first one there, bounding up and over the couch to pull open the door. Mavuika was standing in front of him with a bewildered expression, her hand still poised above the doorbell. Capitano and Kinich were standing behind her, Kinich quickly looking up at Lyney’s arrival. He was wearing a large hoodie and what looked to be Capitano’s clothes. His attire obviously didn’t suit him, the clothes large and his pant cuffs dragging on the ground.

Mavuika entered the house, leading Capitano to the kitchen to converse with Mavuika while Kinich stayed behind. Despite his clothes and a very concerning bandage around his head, he was still just as gorgeous as Lyney remembered. He pulled the boy in, giving him a quick kiss on the head.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be here. Come upstairs, I’ll find something for you to wear that fits better.” Kinich protested but eventually allowed Lyney to take his hand and lead him away. Out of the corner of his eye, Lyney saw Freminet smirk at him, Lynette rolling her eyes.

Kinich chuckled at the sight of his room, clothes lying across the bed, chairs and even his bedside lamp. Lyney blushed but chose to ignore the mess, going through his closet until he found something suitable enough for his boyfriend. Meanwhile, Kinich surveyed the room, eyes drifting across Lyney’s pillows and notebooks, a plush toy lying beside his bed, on the ground.

“Here, you can change into this.” Lyney handed him a pair of clothes, the cleanest he owned. Kinich glanced at them for a moment, his fingers rubbing the fabric for a moment.

“You’ve already been so kind, and I promise I’m going to repay you but… could I have something long-sleeved instead? Anything you have is fine.” Lyney laughed at his remark, taking the t-shirt from his arms and, after careful selection, replacing it with a long-sleeved shirt. Lyney left for the hall, choosing to enter the kitchen while Kinich changed.

“So, how did Kinich come into your care in the first place?” Arlecchino inquired, Capitano nodding along with her.

“Oh, hello Lyney. I suppose you’ll want to hear this too, come sit down.” Mavuika gestured to a seat beside Arlecchino, all three adults waiting for him to join. Lyney glanced around the table, finally taking his seat as Mavuika began explaining.

“Arlecchino has told me you two have been very good friends and that he’s even come over before so I suppose he wouldn’t mind as much if I told you. Last night, around 4:00 am, he showed up at my house, freezing from the cold. We got him inside, git him warm and in the morning, we finally got the story out of him. His father had kicked him out and he had walked here form his house, which I estimate is a good forty-minute walk, not to mention the weather. His head was hurt, and we are unaware of any other injuries so far.”

Lyney felt a pit of anger well up in his chest, Arlecchino boring an expression of equal fury. He had known, at least partly, that Kinich didn’t have a great home life. But this? Locking your own son out, in the middle of the night was cruel. The four of them sat in silence for a moment, although they could all tell that their thoughts were near identical, even without words.

They were interrupted when Kinich came in, Lynette and Freminet following afterward. Mavuika smiled, ushering Kinich to sit down between her and Lyney, Lynette and Freminet taking their seats while Arlecchino served the food.

Everyone began dishing out food, Mavuika heaping food on Kinich’s plate when she noticed he had left it almost completely empty. The table descended into silence, the sound of forks and knives clinking against plates filling the air. Bothered by the silence, Mavuika hastily struck up a conversation with Arlecchino, Capitano jumping in occasionally while the teens ate in silence. Lyney bumped Kinich with his elbow, laughing a t Kinich’s surprise.

“C’mon, you should try some of this, Arlecchino’s a really good cook.” Lyney coaxed Kinich into trying the food, pleased when he saw Kinich shimmer with delight, his normally unexpressive eyes portraying his emotions. Lyney’s attention was diverted when he noticed Arlecchino staring at them, the entire table having gone silent.
“Do you boys have thoughts and feelings for one another?”

“No!” The adults at the table cast suspicious glances at each other, clearly not believing him.

“It seems that almost every time either of you are in trouble, you’re always together. Is there something between the two of you that you may not realize?” Lynette and Freminet snickered behind their hands, casting shit-eating grins at Kinich and Lyney. The latter turned to his boyfriend, searching for permission within his eyes. Kinich nodded, looking down as Lyney turned to confirm everyone’s suspicions.

“Fine, me and Kinich have been dating.” Arlecchino smiled knowingly, although Mavuika was much more surprised, having barely known them. The woman jumped up from the table, hugging Kinich and Lyney in a vice-like grip as his siblings finally burst into uproarious laughter. The woman pulled away, looking into Lyney’s eyes as she spoke.
“Listen, if you ever, and I mean ever, hurt Kinich, I’ll make sure you don’t walk unscathed, understand?” She was smiling as she said it but the look in her eyes told him all he needed to know. He shivered at the thought, knowing she would definitely uphold her promise if the situation arose. Kinich, meanwhile, blushed deeper, curling into himself from embarrassment.

Mavuika returned to her seat, asking more and more questions about Lyney now that she knew he was dating her “son”. Lyney answered each of them willingly, trying his best to make a good impression.
***
“Since it’s Christmas Eve, we have decided to let Kinich sleep over. However, if I catch either of you doing anything he will be sent to Freminet’s room, understood?

Although I doubt Kinich would do anything, of course.” Lyney ignored the final comment, nodding his head eagerly, Kinich following along, albeit more reserved. Freminet made faces at his brother, the boy instead choosing to ignore him in favor of cleaning his room as fast as possible while Kinich said goodbye to Mavuika.

“Here, you can borrow these!” As soon as Kinich entered, Lyney thrust the pajamas into his arms, directing him to the bathroom. He finished picking up his clothes, changing into his pajamas while he waited for Kinich. The boy eventually returned, shuffling awkwardly closer to Lyney. Lyney turned off the lights, crawling in bed beside Kinich. The moon shone through his blinds, allowing Lyney to see just enough so that he could make out the shape of Kinich’s silhouette, faced towards him.

His boyfriend fell asleep quickly, his breath even and quiet. Lyney watched as his chest rose and fell, his own chest alight with the knowledge that he was here, sleeping side by side with Lyney. When he was sure he was asleep, Lyney reached over and placed a kiss on Kinich’s head, locking their hands together before finally dozing off.