Chapter 75: A Thought Too Loud

Kane glanced over his shoulder as the bookshelf opened fully, his fox ears twitching at the sound.

"Oh, hey." He paused the game mid-level, setting the controller on the coffee table. "You’re back early."

Cyrus remained frozen in the doorway, processing the scene before him.

Kane had made himself completely at home—his jacket draped over the arm of the sectional, shoes kicked off beneath the coffee table, and an energy bar wrapper crumpled beside a half-empty bottle of water.

"What are you doing here?" Cyrus’s voice carried the lethal quietness that preceded volcanic eruptions. "And how did you get into the penthouse, and this room?"

"Your password. 1314. You used it for both the penthouse security and this room." Kane stretched lazily.

The casual admission hung in the air like a lit fuse.

Cyrus stepped into the room, his crimson eyes narrowing to slits.

"You memorized my password." The words emerged through gritted teeth. "Without my knowledge."

Kane shrugged, picking up the controller again. "You used it three times in front of me. Not exactly rocket science."

"That doesn’t answer my question." Cyrus’s voice dropped another octave. "Why are you still in my penthouse?"

Kane’s fingers stilled on the controller buttons. He turned to face Cyrus fully, amber eyes meeting red.

"Where else would I go? I’m still homeless, remember?" The question carried zero self-pity, just plain fact.

Cyrus felt the anger drain from his shoulders like air from a punctured tire.

He’d assumed Kane had vanished from his life entirely.

"I thought you’d returned to your Bureau duties."

"I did." Kane stretched, rolling his shoulders with feline grace. "Finished my reports, caught up on paperwork, grabbed a quick dinner with Rina."

The casual recitation of Kane’s day stung more than Cyrus expected.

Kane had moved through his normal routine while Cyrus had driven across the city like a man possessed, chasing shadows and ceramic cats.

"And then?"

"Then I came back here." Kane’s amber eyes held steady. "Unless you want me gone?"

The question landed like a physical blow.

Cyrus realized with uncomfortable clarity that he’d been furious at himself, not Kane.

He’d made assumptions, built walls where none existed, and projected his own fears onto Kane’s simple presence.

"No." The admission escaped before Cyrus could cage it. "I don’t want you gone."

Kane’s expression softened, surprise flickering across his features.

"Good. Because I was winning this level."

Kane turned back to the screen, fingers dancing across the controller as his character navigated through a neon-lit cityscape. The familiar sound effects filled the silence between them.

Cyrus watched Kane’s complete absorption in the game, his jaw tightening with each passing second.

For someone who could read micro-expressions and catch lies with supernatural precision, Kane remained utterly blind to the storm he’d created simply by existing.

"Want to join me?" Kane glanced up briefly, patting the cushion beside him. "I can restart the level."

Cyrus said nothing, but his patience finally snapped. Weeks of restraint, of keeping distance, burned away in an instant.

Without warning, he stepped forward and placed both hands on Kane’s shoulders, pushing him back against the couch cushions.

The controller tumbled from Kane’s grasp, clattering onto the floor.

Kane’s amber eyes went wide, his fox ears flattening against his head in surprise.

"Cyrus, what—"

Cyrus’s hands tightened on Kane’s shoulders, his crimson eyes blazing with an intensity that made Kane’s breath catch.

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me?"

Kane’s pulse hammered against his throat.

"I don’t—"

"I drove across the entire city looking for you." The words came out rough and uneven.

"I bought a broken ceramic cat from Mochi because it reminded me of you."

Kane’s amber eyes searched Cyrus’s face, finding something raw and unguarded there.

"You could have called—"

"With what excuse?" Cyrus’s grip loosened slightly, his thumb brushing against Kane’s collarbone through his shirt.

"That I missed having you near? That my office felt empty without your annoying presence?"

Kane’s fox ears twitched forward, catching every nuance in Cyrus’s voice.

"Cyrus..."

"You walk into my life, turn everything upside down, and then act like it’s nothing." Cyrus’s forehead nearly touched Kane’s.

"Like you’re nothing."

Kane’s breath hitched. "I’m not nothing."

"No," Cyrus agreed, his voice dropping to something dangerous and tender.

"You’re everything."

The space between them vanished as Cyrus closed the distance, his lips capturing Kane’s in a kiss that tasted of desperation and longing held too long in check.

At least that was what Cyrus wanted to do in his head.

The vivid fantasy dissolved like smoke as Kane’s voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.

"Want to join me?" Kane glanced up briefly, patting the cushion beside him. "I can restart the level."

Cyrus blinked, finding himself still standing in the doorway like a statue.

Kane sat exactly where he’d been moments before—relaxed, unaware, controller in hand.

The game’s neon cityscape flickered across the screen, completely oblivious to the storm that had just raged through Cyrus’s mind.

Kane’s amber eyes held nothing but casual invitation.

He had no knowledge of the confession that Cyrus had just imagined delivering. No awareness of the kiss that had felt so real Cyrus could still taste it.

"Cyrus?" Kane tilted his head, fox ears twitching with curiosity. "You okay?"

Cyrus cleared his throat, forcing his expression back to neutral territory. His hands remained steady at his sides, betraying nothing of the tremor that had nearly undone him.

"Fine." The word came out rougher than intended. "One round."

Kane’s face lit up with genuine pleasure, and Cyrus felt his chest tighten all over again.

"Excellent. Fair warning though—I’m about to destroy you at this."

Cyrus lowered himself onto the sofa, maintaining a careful distance between them.

Kane handed him a second controller, their fingers brushing for the briefest moment.

The contact sent electricity up Cyrus’s arm.

Kane restarted the level, explaining the controls with animated gestures.

His enthusiasm filled the space between them, warm and infectious despite Cyrus’s rigid posture.

"So basically, you want to avoid the red zones and collect the blue crystals. Simple enough, right?"

Cyrus nodded, not trusting his voice.

Simple. Nothing about this was simple.

But he picked up the controller anyway.