#kylevalentiweekend24

Kyle Valenti Weekend 2024 | Day 1: Legacy

Valenti Code -> Doctor’s Oath

              “You’re kidding,” Kyle gaped. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying?”

              “I usually do,” Alex said easily, taking a long sip of his beer, leaning back against the wooden chair of the Wild Pony, the picture of calm.

              Easy for him, Kyle thought, exasperated.

              “It’s a smart idea.”

              “It’s an insane idea!”

              “He won’t mind.”

              “Alex,” Kyle leaned in, trying to get through to his best friend, “he will kill me.”

              Alex, the bastard, did a poor job of hiding his laugh. “Come on.”

              “Dude, Michael almost tore my head off when he saw you sleeping on my chest the other day. What do you think he’ll do to me if you tell him you want to sleep over?”

              “Michael knows I have trouble sleeping by myself,” Alex said reasonably. “If anything, he’s angrier with himself for falling asleep halfway through the prequels.” His smile and voice softened at the memory of his husband. “He’s glad you were there to help me, he just hates that it wasn’t him.”

              “Yeah,” he nodded, “I really felt the gratitude when he threatened to beat me in with a frying pan.”

              “He was joking,” Alex dismissed.

              “I think you’re blinded by love,” Kyle said resolutely, and Alex burst out laughing. “I think you’re too horny for your husband that you don’t see how vicious he really is.”

              “He’s a puppy,” Alex said on a dreamy sigh.

              “He’s a Hellhound,” Kyle deadpanned. “And if you want to tell him about sleeping over at my house tonight, he sure as hell isn’t going to rip your throat out.”

              “You don’t want me to come over?” Alex asked lightly, raising a brow as though daring Kyle to contradict him.

              Kyle huffed an agitated sigh and confessed, “I hate you so much, you know I want you to come over. Isobel’s not coming back till tomorrow night, and I’d much rather spend the night with my best friend than trying to force myself not to go to the hospital. But Alex –”

              “You deserve to have things you want too, Kyle,” Alex said, and Kyle’s next argument fell short. “You don’t always have to worry about everyone else.” He leaned in, mirroring Kyle’s position with his elbows on the table, a spark in his eyes, his smile kind and loving and reassuring. “Don’t worry about Michael, okay? You have me.”

              Warmth bloomed in Kyle’s heart, and his body melted in spite of himself. The truth was that Kyle knew Alex would fight heaven and hell for the people he loved, but knowing he himself had Alex as a protector gave him a weird kind of relief like nothing else could. It would be silly to believe that nothing else would ever bother him because Alex would shield him from it, but he believed it. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe it was time Kyle took full advantage of his happily ever after, and just enjoyed it.

              “Besides,” Alex said simply, “I’m not proud of it, but I have ways of giving my cowboy . . . perspective. If he gets angry, I’ll get him to calm down.”

              Kyle nodded to himself, already planning their night together as he held his bottle up to his lips before he stopped. “You’re going to threaten him with sex, aren’t you?”

              Alex grinned. “Oh yeah.”

***

Happily Ever After

some soft snuggles for @kylevalentiweekend and @sweetspicybingo’s Ever After square

The music is so loud, Kyle feels like his whole body is pulsing along with the beat. He leaves Max and Liz on the dance floor to get them some more drinks, his feather boa still wrapped around his neck. While he waits, he watches them with admiration. Liz has always been so graceful on the dance floor, and Max is doing a fine job of letting her take the lead. They’re so beautiful and carefree in this moment, and Kyle lets that positive energy wash over him. Their first actual date, between the three of them, is going better than he could have hoped. He might need to pinch himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming.

               Kyle was exhausted. He sat in the breakroom, feeling only half-there as he chewed slowly on his granola bar, staring through the ceiling. He’d just done a double shift because his girlfriend was out of town for a Something Something Diamond Gala, and since he’d burned through the night again and they were well past midnight, the corridors filled with ringing phones and nurses’ voices and beeping here and trays and carts moving there, he knew that the last thing he should do was call her. He didn’t want to wake Isobel up, and he definitely didn’t want her to know that he was busying himself with work at the hospital because she wasn’t there to make sure he was actually resting.

              He couldn’t help it though. He’d been used to working through nights that now that there wasn’t someone clinging to him in bed, keeping him there, he found it hard to stay away. There was always more people to help, more to protect, more to heal. Kyle slumped against the couch, head falling back as he allowed his eyes to close for a moment. He had no fear of falling asleep while he was here. The hospital’s ambience was a constant wakeup call.

              Someone needs you, it seemed to be reminding him. Get up, get up, get up –

              Kyle’s phone buzzed suddenly in his pocket, making him flinch. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he had to squint at the screen. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and he held the phone to his ear.

              “Yes, darling?”

              Alex’s low chuckle sounded, and in the background, Kyle heard Michael snap, “He ain’t your darlin’, Valenti!”

              “I’m just checking in,” Alex said, a smile in his voice that was trying to mirror itself on Kyle’s own lips. It was so good to talk to him, but he hadn’t managed it in days what with their busy schedules. “I know you have a late shift today.”

              Kyle hummed, amused. “What’re you insomniacs doing up anyway?”

              Alex sighed. “Nightmares. I tried not to wake Michael, but –”

              “Can’t sleep alone,” Michael said, and Kyle could practically hear him shrug. Then he heard a pan on a stove.

              “Are you guys having breakfast now?” Kyle raised his head and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. “It’s three in the morning!”

              “Yeah,” Alex said slowly. “Our mornings are always kind of . . . early. We’re going to watch Notting Hill in a bit.”

              “Ah,” Kyle’s smile widened. “A romcom. That definitely feels like you, Manes.”

              “Screw you,” Alex said, voice muffled, and Kyle imagined him taking a bit out of a pancake. It was such a relief to hear him so relaxed after years of miserable late nights and haunted hours spent alone. “We’re saving Star Wars for tomorrow. It’s time you learned the value of the Force.”

              Kyle’s brows furrowed, even as his smile widened. “Tomorrow?”

              “Movie night,” Alex said like it was obvious, as though of course this was what they would be doing with Isobel out of town. He and Alex, enjoying a fantasy trilogy deep into the night, falling asleep together on the couch, and waking up to have an early breakfast together. A warmth spread through his chest at the simple reminder that he wasn’t alone, that he had a best friend, that there someone taking care of him.

              “I’ll be there too!” Michael piped in suddenly, as though eager to shatter any illusion Kyle had of being alone with Alex.

              Kyle managed to refrain from laughing at him. But just barely. “And yet,” he said, “I still think I’ll come.”

              Alex, however, didn’t bother hiding his laughter, though Kyle knew it was much fonder than his own could be. To Alex, everything Michael did was either adorable or hot or both. Kyle supposed he would have to head over tomorrow night. After all, someone needed to knock the cowboy down a peg every now and then.

              “Kyle?” Alex’s soft voice caught his attention.

              “Yeah, Manes?”

              “Go home,” he said. “I want you to be able to stay up tomorrow. Tonight?” He huffed, annoyed, “Time is so weird around here. Just go home.”

              Kyle chuckled, nodding to himself. “Yes, sir. Enjoy your breakfast.”

              Kyle woke to something heavy on his chest. Return of the Jedi’s credits were rolling, the exciting music dimmed down to a soft orchestra, the TV’s light the only one in the room. Kyle looked up and around, the empty beer bottles on the low coffee table, the nest of throw pillows and blankets around them half-falling off the couch, and right there, curled up and fast asleep on his chest, was Alex.

              Kyle huffed a chuckle, his head falling back against the armrest. The blanket he’d had over him was now slung over Alex’s hips instead, and Kyle had a vague recollection of waking up briefly in the middle of the night to cover him. His best friend’s warm weight was a nice comfort, but when Kyle tried to move, Alex whimpered and shifted, and Kyle froze until Alex buried his face deeper into Kyle’s chest and fell right back asleep.

              Kyle rubbed his eyes and kept his lips pressed together to avoid laughing. He remembered moments like this, a long time ago, when he and Alex would hang out in their treehouse, and Alex would fall asleep with his head on Kyle’s lap. Kyle was ashamed to remember being relieved at the time that Alex had fallen asleep against him this time in private, where his football friends wouldn’t leer and he wouldn’t have to push Alex off or make fun of him about it. He hugged Alex’s shoulders at the mere thought, and heaved a sigh as he hung his head back.

              He had wasted so much time. Years, they could’ve had each other in their lives, and Kyle had instead spent it grinding and trudging through all the lonely nights and unspoken feelings and pained realizations alone. His father had died, and instead of being able to lean on his best friend for comfort, he’d spent it by himself, looking back at all the choices he’d made and realizing too late the damage he’d done.

              Alex would’ve been there for him, no matter what. Kyle knew that, without question or hesitation. Sometimes, he wondered if he deserved it.

              Alex stirred again, and Kyle knew he wasn’t Michael. Alex would know when he was cuddling up to Michael, would know Michael’s scent and the feel of his body. He kept waiting for Alex to realize that Kyle wasn’t that same comfortable, safe space and wake up. He’d seen Alex wake the moment Michael left a room, it wouldn’t surprise him. Instead, Alex whimpered and hugged Kyle’s waist, snuggling in and sighing deeply before settling again.

              Kyle stared, and for some stupid reason, his eyes started to burn. Yes, there were days when he doubted whether he’d deserved Alex’s forgiveness, and then there were moments like this; Alex’s silent reassurances that he did, that they were different people now, and that he’d missed his best friend too. As the long credits rolled and the orchestra music played, Kyle slid a hand into Alex’s soft hair, the other tugging up the blanket until it covered Alex’s shoulders.