my love when it counted. 04
summary: The company Christmas party rolls around and when Kenny sees you with a certain cowboy by your side, he can't stop the jealousy from burning within him. Returning to his usual plan, he tries to avoid you, but can't keep his eyes from going back to your form. However, just as he is about to leave, something else happens that shakes his night completely.
pairing: kenny omega x reader
word count: 8346
warning: there be high consumption of alcohol in this one, nothing way too intense but there is some drunkenness
chonky boy, good thing I managed to keep it down to around 8K cause that's my cap. we got a bit of stuff happening in this one but I hope it doesn't feel like too much. thank you everyone for coming this far with me, leave your feedback and what not, I'm really always happy to have you all here!
04.
The minute you stepped foot out of the cab, a sharp pain shot up your ankle, almost breaking your smile into a grimace. You wouldn’t let it, though, not right now. The poor excuse for a joint could flare up all it wanted tomorrow, but right now you were trying to look your best for the company Christmas party. It was going to be your first at AEW, and you weren’t just about to let some dumb, unlucky fall fuck it up for you. You were tougher than that.
“You alright there?” Adam’s drawl breaks through the chilly night air, hitting your ears almost hearty and smooth as he extends his hand to help you out.
You look back up at him, fixing your smile again as you take his offer, putting your weight on his warm and strong grip as he pulls you up. When you finally stand, there is not much more than a hand of distance from the two of you. The air between you feels warm from his breath, and it smells like his perfume, tobacco and honey, and you can’t tell why, but it seems fitting the cowboy would smell like this.
“Guess I’m still feeling this week’s match,” you laugh, and he follows suit, sound enveloping the space as he nods in understanding, “but thanks, I’m gonna be fine.”
With a sunny smile, Adam nods to you once more, relief washing through your body when he doesn’t press you further. He had been serving as great company so far, you were both staying at the same hotel and he’d offered to leave with you for the party together and share a cab - an offer you were happy to accept. The man was a welcomed mix of familiarity with something new, back in Japan you generally didn’t spend much time together - at least not without Kenny around - so you only got to know him more now. And sure, you weren’t completely blind to his less conspicuous interests, but it’s not like you minded.
Adam removes his hand from yours and for a moment you miss its warmth. Though, he soon places it on the small of your back, heating the skin through the clothes as he ushers you inside the doors to the building where the party was being held. He makes chit chat with you as you walk down the halls and stop to leave your bag at the entrance. Soon, the both of you pass through another set of large doors, finally being met with the vast hall that actually housed the event.
The inside of the hall was warm and brightly lit with multiple decorative lights. Their colorful glow bathed the place in what you could only describe as a very holiday feeling aura. One that was only reinforced by the absolutely immense Christmas tree decorating one corner of the place. It almost reached the ceiling, and you wondered if it was even legal to cut down a tree this big - and, you assumed, this old. Well, it must have been, and regardless, the thing now stood as the centerpiece of the event, long branches heavily decorated in ornaments, lights, and fake snow. A far more beautiful and welcoming sight compared to the plastic trees you'd seen in the arena on your previous show.
It wasn't long into the party when you arrived, but the place was already full enough that the voices and noise of clinking glass and laughter could be heard under the beat of the music. The center of the vast hall stood empty of tables or chairs, a few people dancing around the space already as you arrived - you assumed the number would grow as the night went on and alcohol did its thing. Surrounding that there were scattered tables with seating for multiple people and a few separate armchairs.
To both of your sides stood large and long food tables, with all sorts of dishes laid over their deep red table cloths. As you entered, you could see waiters passing by you with water and all sorts of non-alcoholic looking beverages. On the opposite wall from the entrance stood the bar. Of course, anything without alcohol was free, but the alcohol you'd have to pay for. A classic, you didn't love it, but you knew it was the smartest choice for a company to make.
Adam's hand trails from the small of your back to your shoulder slowly as he leans in close to your ear. You can feel his hot breath against your neck as he speaks, the deep drawl of his voice having a shudder running through your spine as you hear his smooth baritone calling your name. The sound feels almost soothing on your skin. You look up at him, and he is so close, inviting blue eyes pulling you in as his face stands inches from your own.
"Already this full, huh? They really went all out this time," he laughs, and you follow suit, sharing in the warmth of the sound. "Listen, I have some people I need to talk to, mind if we split now and meet again later?"
He winks at you and something bubbles under your skin, a smile coming to your lips. "Sounds fine by me," you nod at him and he thanks you, squeezing your shoulder before he is off somewhere else.
Alone now, you let your hunger get the best of you, making your way to one of the food tables before you even thought of talking to anyone. If it looked full from far away, it looked even more from up close. The thing was stacked with all sort of winter foods and decorated with fake candles and elaborate flower arrangements. Just as you were making a plate for yourself, though, you heard Nick's voice calling from behind you.
"Well, well, look at who is here on time? Arriving in the first hour of the party? Surprising," Nick teased you in a cheerful tone as you turned to him, one of his arms hugging you around the shoulders as he held a plate in the other hand. "Though, did you just come for the food?"
"Look at who is talking," you laughed, pointing at his own full plate as you slapped his free arm.
"Hey, I'm taking this for the wife," he retorts in feigned offense before laughing alongside you, "you should come see her, you know. Find our table and come say hi before you go spend your evening with your date."
"Shut it, Nick," you roll your eyes, slapping him in the arm again as he smirks at you, his undertones fare more clear than you'd like, "I don't have a date. You are blowing things out of proportion."
Just as he is about to reply, you both hear another voice call your name, this time it's a clear feminine tone breaking through the noise of the crowd. Nick is quick to quiet down as you both see Willow Nightingale approaching, a bright and cheerful smile adorning her face as she throws an arm around your shoulders. You swallow thick, hoping she hadn't heard what Nick said, and you wouldn't have to be explaining anything.
"I hadn't seen you here yet, did you just arrive now?" Willow's words come in the sweetest tone as she speaks to you before turning to Nick. "What you two up to?"
"Just congratulating her for being here on time. You know, she has a bit of a track record for being late for things," you shake your head as Willow just looks in your direction, laughing as Nick raises an eyebrow. "I was also telling her she has to pass by my table, gotta see my wife. You haven't seen each other since your debut here, months ago."
You make to respond, but Willow is faster, the arm around your shoulders tightening a bit as she brings your body closer to hers. "I'll remind her of that, Nick, I give you my word," she straightens up her back, mocking a salute Nick's way before continuing. "But right now, I'm gonna have to drag her away, 'cause she said she'd be here fifteen minutes ago."
You bite your lower lip, brows creasing as you try to make your best pleading eyes to Willow. It was possible that you may have gotten a bit distracted by the large and comfortable bathtub in your hotel room - just maybe. You simply weren't the best with punctuality, something that didn't really change over the years. Shit, at least it was just fifteen minutes this time. Nick openly laughs at your situation as Willow looks at you in judgment, waving a hand at you both before he turns around and makes his way to his table. Just as Nick is out of earshot, Willow turns to you with mischief tainting her usually soft eyes. You could already guess what she'd say before she even did it.
"Now," she starts in an almost whisper, "before you go anywhere, did I just see you arriving with a certain blond cowboy?"
It had been something over two hours since Kenny arrived at the party when he saw you. Honestly, he was expecting to go a bit longer without this inevitability happening, seeing how he’d arrived early at the event. Matt had helped organize things, and Kenny wanted to be there for his friend from the start. And he had wanted to buy himself more time before he’d have to start plotting what parts of the party to avoid so everyone - including himself - could have a fine enough time.
Well, so long to that now.
Sipping from his soda, Kenny tried his best to keep his eyes away from your form. But he knew he was fighting a loosing battle. Your image had some sort of magnetic pull on him - and they made visions from that fateful video he’d recently find pop back into his mind. You looked beautiful. Gorgeous even. A sight to behold in true splendor as he watched you laughing in cheerful joy alongside Willow Nightingale. It had been a while since he’d seen you laugh so earnestly, and Kenny was ashamed to admit it brought warmth to his heart. You were more beautiful when you were laughing than any other time. Though, as he looked you over again, a bothersome worry took home in his mind.
Kenny had seen you taking quite an ugly fall on the last show, you’d managed to salvage what you could of the move, not letting the audience know how bad it had been, but he still could tell. Besides, from what he gathered of the backstage talk, the ring-side doctor hadn’t been all too happy with the looks of your ankle, something about being twisted and it being safer to immobilize. So, what he was expecting when you appeared at the party was to see you at least in a brace. And yet, he saw no brace at all.
Sure, he wasn’t a doctor, and he hadn’t seen you walking around just yet to try and guess if you were truly ok. But it still didn’t sit right with him. Maybe it was because he clearly remembered you being too proud and careless with your body, constantly pushing it beyond its limits. A crime Kenny himself had committed, and paid the steep price for. He watched you like a hawk as you held conversation with Willow, intently observing your fidgeting and posture until you two finally moved, walking towards one of the tables.
“Staring? Seriously, Kenny?” Matt’s voice snapped through the background noise of the party, pulling Kenny’s eyes towards him.
“It’s not,” Kenny grunted, Matt looking straight at him, eyebrows raised in mocking incredulity. “Listen,“ he looks towards you again, voice low and quiet, “didn’t she take a bad fall on her ankle last show?”
Matt looked in your direction, keeping silent for a moment before he answered Kenny’s question, not even looking back at him. “Yeah, now that you mention it,” he trailed off, squinting at your form as you walked.
Kenny nodded to him, muttering something about you being stubborn. This time the man had a reason, Matt did remember you’d taken quite the dangerous fall earlier in the week. The ring-side doctor had wanted you in a brace, that much he’d heard, but he didn’t really know the details. All he knew is that it looked ugly, and if it had been him, he’d probably be in the damn brace.
“Hmm,” he muttered, more to himself than to Kenny, “I really thought she’d be in -” Matt cut his words off as soon as he noticed where you were going. Or rather, to whom. “Well, maybe she is fine, and we’re just overreacting, come on.”
Matt tried to take Kenny’s attention away from you the minute he noticed you’d left Willow and were making a beeline to Adam Page. Sure, he imagined his friend had already noticed that Adam had been acting pretty friendly towards you for a little while now. Kenny wasn’t dumb, but Matt thought it’d be better to just keep him away from witnessing the thing himself. The last thing anyone needed right now was for the tenuous peace between you to be broken.
Too bad Kenny had already noticed the scene.
When Kenny saw the direction you were walking in, something in him froze. Hangman. You were making your way to Hangman Adam Page. The cowboy had been a common sight around you, he knew. You often prepared for matches together, he knew. The two of you had become fast friends, he knew. He was well aware of everything, he wasn’t blind, but the sight still had the air in his lungs turning to ice in the blink of an eye.
He watched as Adam greeted you with an arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer as you two laughed at something. Spying in silent pain as you two fell into step together, the cowboy’s hand soon slipping to the small of your back as you walked towards the bar. To Kenny, his interests were clear as day. Especially because he’d been aware of them since way back in New Japan.
Adam had taken a shine to you even before you had started dating Kenny. However, the man had been too slow and when Kenny started dating you, he knew better than to tempt fate. It was an ugly thing to admit, but even if Adam tried nothing through your entire relationship, he still sparked a burning jealousy in Kenny whenever he showed up. It was wrong, he knew, and it was worse now, sensing the remnants of that feeling coming back to life. A scowl slowly forming on his face.
“Come on, Kenny” Matt shook his shoulder, strong grip pulling him out of his thoughts, “let’s go check up on Nick.”
Kenny knew what Matt was trying to do, gaze almost begging him to just leave it be and go do something else. The hand on his shoulder remained there, holding strong until Kenny nodded, eyes lingering on you and Adam before he turned around. If his jealousy was wrong before, he had absolutely no right to it now, and he knew. He could acknowledge the lingering feeling, but he wouldn’t feed it - least he’d fall into old behaviors. So he turned around, following Matt to see wherever Nick was. Making a quiet promise to himself that he’d try not looking your way anymore for the night.
The warmth of Adam’s large hand once again heats the skin in the small of your back, warmth spreading through the fabric of your clothes. He keeps you close by as you both maneuver through the people in the direction of the bar, hand slipping to hold onto your side as you pass a specially narrow space. You can feel his clothes ruffling against yours as your hips brush against his and your shoulder pushes against his side.
It was a space you could have easily passed in a line, but you weren’t about to complain. Not when his strong grip dug into your skin in the most delicious way. And not in the least when you enjoyed so much the smell of his perfume and the way his body warmed yours so completely. His touch bringing goosebumps as his fingers trailed from your side to the small of your back.
“So,” Adam’s deep voice reached your ears just as your hands touched the cold marble of the bar, “what we drinking?”
You looked at him, eyes meeting his own just as he leaned on the hard counter, shooting a gorgeous smile your way. The hand that was on your back now holding onto the pockets of his pants. Mirroring his pose, you raised an eyebrow before responding. “We?”
“Well,” he paused, a small laugh escaping his beautiful lips before he shrugged his shoulders, “though I’d match you for now. And my treat, of course.”
“Adam, you really don’t need to,” you replied.
“But I want to,” Adam’s words were earnest as they spilled from his mouth, he paused in silence for a second waiting for your answer, when he saw your hesitation he pushed again, “come on.”
“Yeah,” you shook your head before accepting, turning your body to the front again and fully resting your forearms on the cold marble, “if it’s my pick, we are having a highball then.”
Well, it seemed you were in the presence of a gentleman cowboy. To be honest, you thought Adam’s attempts at chivalry funny, if not endearing. It was not something you really cared about, but it seemed to fit well into that aura he had about him. It also probably helped that he had those gorgeous blue eyes that stirred something within you with an ease you wouldn’t admit. Anyway, you hoped he’d prove to be great company for the night. And who knows, maybe tomorrow you wouldn’t have to wake up in your own hotel room.
Time passed by pretty fast as you were with Adam. And sure, the alcohol certainly helped it feel like that. But it’s not like it could have done the job all by itself. The man had a magnetic charm that kept pulling you towards him at all time, and his company was definitely a highlight of the night. When you first saw him again, on the day of your debut for AEW, you thought he looked like something straight out of a barbie movie. Just a pretty dumb blonde, and you'd had your fair share of these already. Though, he quickly proved you wrong, and now he had you interested.
You’d spent a good part of your evening with him. Talk about one thing turned into talk about another with the ease of a well trained dance. You’d trade looks and light - sometimes accidental - touches with each other more than you’d had in any of your previous interactions. Sure, the fair amount of alcohol was helping along with that too, working as the social lube that eased the movement along. You’d say you were pretty enthralled by the whole game if it weren’t for the damn pain starting to rise in your ankle. And you were a bit drunk now too, that wasn’t helping.
At some point in the night, you and Adam had gotten into something of a drinking game - you wouldn’t even want to call it a competition per se. It wasn’t quite so much an open and clear thing, but Adam had teased you about your taste in drinks and you didn’t take teasing too lightly. He probably wasn’t aware, since you’d spend very little time around each other back in Japan, but you were something of a heavy drinker. An old habit that a few times saw you needing Kenny’s help to haul your intoxicated ass back to safety. But most of the time you were fine, out drinking a lot of the guys in your group. So, you weren’t willing to let the sweet talking blonde do you dirty like that.
But maybe this time you just might have bitten off a bit more than you could chew. Perhaps it was because Adam was some sort of bottomless pit for alcohol, or perhaps the pain you were feeling was making you weaker, but you seemed to be a bit more affected by the drinking than he was. And he clearly was affected, but he was still gulping the beer down like nothing and you had started feeling like calling it a night.
You were drunk, tired and in pain from your ankle, and all that was starting to take its toll on you. Between staying in the - standing room only - counter of the bar and being taken to dance by Adam, your hurt joint seemed to be getting a bit more action than it wanted. You had managed to take a break and find an empty pair of armchairs for you and him now, but the thing was still complaining. No matter how well you tried to pretend it wasn’t.
Rubbing your ankle lightly through your boots, you caught Adam returning with your beers from the corner of your eye, quickly wiping the grimace from your face. You at least wanted to save face about this - at least in front of the guy you had spent the whole night flirting with. He quickly sat down on the empty chair, handing your cup to you with that perpetually bright smile. In turn, you shot the best one you could muster - you’d salvage at least your pride, even if you couldn’t fully have what you wanted from the night.
“Really, Kenny?” Matt sighed loudly again as he looked at his friend, sulking in a quiet corner as he stared in your direction. “Try not to bore a hole through them while I’m out, okay?”
Kenny shook his head, breaking his eyes from you and towards Nick, who was looking at him with a mix of pity and judgment that felt deeply offensive. “You leaving already?”
“No strength to keep on this time, man, I’m dying to fall asleep. Sorry, I’m gonna have to leave you alone,” he paused for a beat, eyes glancing in your direction for a split moment before coming back to Kenny, “and hope you survive.”
Matt pulled Kenny into a hug, wrapping his arms around his friend’s shoulder and holding strong for a second before letting go. Part of him wanted to stay, help Kenny not do something so self destructive as spying on his ex girlfriend and the guy she was flirting with, but he was exhausted. He’d chosen to leave now exactly because the man had stayed very well behaved through the night, so to see him slipping right as Matt was about to go home had him worried. Though, worry still couldn’t beat his need to sleep right now.
“I’m gonna be fine,” Kenny paused, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to convince Matt or himself, “I should be going soon enough too, just talk to a few more people and get on my way home.”
“Sounds good,” Matt replied, trying to sound as confident as possible, but Kenny could feel the uncertainty and disbelief through his friend's voice, “just take care ok?”
With that, Matt left, and Kenny was alone in the vast hall, hands in his pockets as he fidgeted in tension. Matt was right to be judging him, he knew he shouldn’t be doing this. He knew, but something burnt in the back of his head, something that wasn’t exactly his jealousy. As his eyes turned back to you - despite his friend’s best advice - his brows furrowed in tension. He was certain you looked to be in pain. With Adam having returned to his seat, Kenny couldn’t get a perfectly good look to be sure, but even from distance he could tell you were in pain. And what pissed him off more was how Adam didn’t even seem to notice.
You’d spent probably about another hour just sitting, drinking, and talking - and flirting - with Adam when his Dark Order friends appeared. You couldn’t tell if you were annoyed at how loud they were, upset they cut your flirting short, or happy to catch a break from the drinking when they barged into your conversation out of the blue. They were all clearly drunk too, and soon enough they started dragging a profusely apologetic Adam away in the direction of the bar. You told him it was fine and you could talk more later, just as they pulled him from his chair and went on their way.
The minute they were out of sight, you extended your legs, breathing in a deep sight of relief as you relaxed your pained muscles. The ankle was hurting badly and you were pissed off at the whole thing, trying with all your might to shove the pain to the back of your head as you got up. Though, the moment you were on your feet a new problem appeared as a spinning dizziness took over your senses. Still, you really needed to go to the bathroom and no pain or vertigo would be able to stop you.
Kenny was on the back hallway, on his way to the parking lot so he could go home, when he saw you ahead, walking slowly into the darkened corridors. You hadn’t seen him, and for a second he considered just letting you go your way before he went his. Though, that all went astray when he noticed your uncertain gait, a slight stumble that had him on alert. You had been drinking all night with the cowboy, so you were certainly drunk. However, he couldn’t be sure if that was just the alcohol, or if your ankle was actually hurt too. Either way, worry got the best of his mind, and before he could stop it, his feet were carrying him to you.
“Hey there,” he approached you from behind, holding your arm as you stumbled to the side, before you could reach the wall, “you alright?”
His voice registered in your head before the warmth of his large hand could, a shiver running down your spine at the surprise interruption. You didn’t realize how close Kenny was until you turned to the side, his large blue eyes staring deep into your soul. On instinct, you took one step back before wincing, pain flaring up your ankle again. His brows furrowed and his other hand came to your shoulder, steadying you in place. His hands heated the space they touched, and you could feel your heart racing for a second before you found your words again.
“I’m fine,” you slurred out the words, pulling your arm from him in an almost swaying motion, the hand on your shoulder following suit and releasing you, “what are you, my caretaker?”
Kenny stifled a laugh at your reaction, he knew you’d probably not be happy with him around, but even in your state, you were still too proud to admit you weren’t fine. Some things just don’t change over time, and for some reason that thought put his heart at ease. Standing so close to you now, he could feel your perfume, you smelled like chocolate and roses, yet another thing that hadn’t changed since New Japan. Though, even under the strong sweet notes, he could still smell the remnants of beer on you.
“No,” Kenny spoke softly, looking over your clearly bewildered form, “but you don’t really seem fine,” he pauses for a second as you roll your eyes and huff in his direction. “I mean, you are clearly drun-”
“Oh,” you cut him off, hands coming to your waist as you shot him your best death glare, which with half lidded eyes and a slurred voice wasn’t much, “you controlling how much I drink now?”
Kenny takes a deep breath in, frustration building up in him but still not drowning his worries. “Nope, I’m more worried about that ankle.”
“I’m fine,” you repeat your words, but your unsteady voice does nothing to reinforce the message. Kenny can clearly see you get on the defensive when he motions to your feet, and if what he knew of you was still true, he could clearly see through your lie. “I don’t need you to babysit me.”
Before he can protest, you turn on your good heel, stepping towards the stairs ahead with a level of certainty only alcohol can give. You move to descend the short flight of steps, but the moment your feet hits the first one, your ankle gives away. To your dazed mind, it all happens in a flash. You let out a small yelp in surprise and next thing you know, a pair of strong arms wraps around your torso, pulling you away from the incoming ground.
You feel your back hitting Kenny’s large chest, the warmth of his body spreading through yours like water, flowing into every part it touches. His hands hold tight to your sides as his arms pull your body into his. You hear him grunt, a deep and rough sound right against your ear, hot breath fanning on your neck and causing goosebumps down your spine.
A dizziness takes over your mind, and you can’t tell if it’s from your feet not touching the ground or if it’s his scent taking over your senses. He smells like coffee and wood and the slightest bit of leather, almost like a coffee shop in the morning. It seems so different from what you were used to, just the leather remaining from his New Japan days, the only connective tissue to a time that felt so distant.
“Hey, no hush now,” Kenny laughs against your skin, descending the stairs in long strides, two steps at a time and in a moment he is done, slowly putting you back on the floor.
His arms didn’t leave your body until he was sure you were steady on your foot, and even then Kenny still hoovered close by in case you’d fall again. Or so he told himself. Yes, he was worried about you, and he was truly trying to help, but he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t enjoyed having you in his arms again. He’d be lying he said that having his lips so close to your neck and your ass so close to his crotch didn’t have an effect on him. But now the moment was gone, he wouldn’t dwell on it, and he was still left worrying about you.
Kenny watches as you slowly come out of your daze, body swaying slightly as you found your ground. He couldn’t blame you, you were pretty drunk, and he was sure almost falling to the floor hadn’t helped in any way. It’s a long moment before life comes back to your eyes, you rub one hand against your temple and Kenny can only imagine that the alcohol was already working its undesirable side effects on you. Steadying your breath, you blink rapidly a few times before turning back to him, your beautiful eyes still transpiring some confusion and pain. Once more, he finds himself wanting to hold you, but he knew you’d find no safety in his touch.
“Thank you,” your words come in an almost whisper, like they were a secret shared between the two of you.
“It’s nothing,” he replies, voice as soft as his blue eyes, he knows he has concern written all over his face, clear for anyone to see, even as he takes a step back to give you more space. “You know that’s not good, right?”
He gestures with his eyes to your ankle, and you’d be surprised by the gentleness in Kenny’s quiet tone if you weren’t so annoyed by his insistence. And by the voice in the back of your mind reminding you that he was right. But you didn’t want him to be.
“Come on, Kenny,” your words lack their usual edge, and you know that, exhaustion and pain overtaking your annoyance at him.
“You just fell from climbing down one step,” Kenny’s voice remains quiet, and somehow it feels wrong. By this point you’d expect the irritation, the strong imposing tone, but not this melodic half whisper. It baffles you in a way that only aggravates more your current sense of confusion.
“And why do you even care?” There is still a slurring to your words, but this time your frustration comes across. Huffing out, you glare at him, but his blue eyes don’t bulge as he stares deep into your soul. It irritates you to no end.
Kenny feels annoyance start to gain ground on his mind, slowly trying to erode his patience. Part of him wants to leave you here, if you don’t want his help then so be it, let your newfound friend deal with this issue. But you were in a vulnerable position, drunk and hurt, and the cowboy was way too many beers in to even notice. So he fights his frustration with your stubbornness - besides, he knew you had a reason not to trust him after all - pushing it to the side as he takes a deep breath in.
“Well,” he pauses, having absolutely no answer he knew you’d like to hear, jumping to whichever one comes to his mind, trying his best to keep his voice calm and low, “we are supposed to be colleagues, right? I’m sorry, but in our profession that's what colleagues do, take care of each other.”'
“Don’t give me that flack,” you roll your eyes again, turning around and braving through the pain as you start making your way towards the bathroom.
“I’m sorry if you can’t believe that I care, but I do,” Kenny has to stifle a laugh again, still finding humor in how headstrong you were.
He watches your unsteady gait for a moment before following suit, reaching your side in just a few long strides. You were walking slowly, an unnatural sway to your movement. Kenny could tell you were fighting both the pain and the alcohol in your system. It was difficult to watch as you struggled through what seemed to be a loosing battle.
“I saw your fall last show,” he continues, voice tainted by his worry as he tries to make you come to reason, “you saved face, but it was botched. Matt said the doctor wanted you immobilized, I know that under those boots your ankle is badly twisted.”
“It’s not that bad,” you turn to him for a second, half lidded eyes meeting his annoyed gaze before you turn forward again, “I’m gonna be fine.”
Kenny shakes his head and you bring a hand to your temple, mumbling something he can’t understand before your step falters and you stumble in his direction. His reflexes are quicker though, and before you can lose your footing he extends his arm to you, your hand finding the exposed skin of his forearm. His other hand finds your shoulder again, pushing you to back into balance slowly with a gentle grip. It all goes by in a moment, and you seem to barely register it as you keep on walking, free hand touching the wall beside you for purchase.
“Oh no,” he grunts, soft tone holding a tint of mockery, keeping pace with your sluggish steps, “I think you are way too drunk to make a trustworthy assessment of yourself right now.”
You make a sound of genuine bafflement that has Kenny’s chest shaking in silent laughter at your reaction. “I’m not that drunk,” you look at him like he had offended your honor, but the slurring of your voice and the way you dragged out the word ‘that’ only makes it funnier to him.
“I can’t tell if your stumbling is your ankle or the alcohol,” Kenny’s response comes in a playful tone and he smiles at the pout it brings to your face as you look forward again, “and you are even holding onto my arm for support.”
Kenny’s smug grin is broken by a full laugh as he watches your eyes widen in shock, a small gasp escaping your lips as you hurriedly pull your hand away from his arm. He mouths an apology but keeps on laughing as you pause, eyes fitting him with a mix of irritation and offense. He knows the moment is serious - and he still worries about you - but he can’t help his reaction. It had been so long, but now he was remembering, he’d always found you an amusing drunk.
“Fuck you,” you mumble in his general direction, doing what he could only describe as a power limping your way ahead.
His laughter dies down a little as you both reach the bathroom, looking back at you just to find that annoyed pout in your face again. “How did you even get in that shape anyway?”
You stop to look at him, hand already holding the door open as you rest your shoulder on the door frame. “I was trying to prove a point,” you squint, leaning towards Kenny and he can almost feel your warm breath, “I refuse to be fucking out drank by someone younger than me, let alone someone who looks like he came straight out of a barbie western movie, I didn’t grow up stealing my father’s whiskey for nothing.”
You turn your back to him, letting the door slam as you enter the bathroom. Oh, yes, this whole mess had Adam’s fingers all over it, even more than he’d previously thought. Kenny had never known you to be so bad with your drinking. But you were generally an easily excitable social drinker. You’d want to match whoever you were drinking with - or worse, out drink them - and things could easily escalate from there. This was a bad mix when he took into consideration the cowboy’s less than laudable drinking habits.
Kenny rests his back to the wall just as the door closes, taking a deep breath to quell the burning sensation that had returned to his veins. He knew this was not the moment to be feeling jealous, but the image of Adam flirting so openly with you still brought a knot to his throat. Worse, the thought that maybe the man could have been trying to use alcohol as a fast lane into your pants made him angry and sick to the stomach. Though, this time, something else burned alongside his jealousy and rage.
He had known the cowboy to be a flirt - and sure, Kenny didn’t think you needed his protection or that you’d be looking for a relationship just because you were flirting back. However, he’d expect the man to at least not be so careless towards the person before him. It was hard to believe he couldn’t notice the state of your ankle - at least while he was sober - and despite your stubbornness, the right thing to do would be offering to help. And yet, here he was, with you drunk and no Adam in sight.
Shaking his head, Kenny tries to purge Adam from his brain, willing his mind to remember that adorable annoyed pout you’d shot his way just seconds earlier. “Oh,” a slight amusement returns to his tone as turns his face to the wall, voice louder now so you could hear it on the other side, “you were trying to out drink the cowboy. Word of advice, I don’t even think he has a liver anymore, so you really don't wanna win this competition.”
There is a moment of pause before Kenny hears your voice coming from the other side, confusion and annoyance spilling through your tone. “Wait, why are you still here? I’ve entered the bathroom, you can go.”
He laughs, sure you’d be reacting like that, you were still under the impression you could do fine without help. “You are very drunk and very hurt. I’m sorry but I gotta be here to make sure there is someone to help in case you fall, or throw up,” he pauses for a moment, shrugging before he speaks again. “Or both.”
A few seconds of silence goes by before Kenny hears a noise coming from inside the bathroom. It has him on alert, calling out your name as he knocks on the door, then repeating his call when you don’t answer immediately. At least he hadn’t heard any gagging or any other noise that would indicate you were sick, but the situation still has him on the edge.
“I’m ok,” your voice comes muffled from the other side but still brings him a level of relief, it doesn’t last long though. “It was a small miscalculation,” you reassure him as you open the door, but it doesn’t quite work as you stumble once more just as you step out of the bathroom.
Kenny is quick to catch you, your hands falling to his large chest as he steadies you on your feet again. His eyes scan your face as you step on your hurt leg, discomfort clear as day even as you try to minimize it. You hold onto the door frame for support and once Kenny is sure you won’t fall again he drops to look at your ankle. The heavy boots you are wearing don’t let him see much, but as his fingers press against your joint you hiss, and he can feel that something is badly swollen under there.
“Yep,” Kenny responds, voice serious as he gets up again, “that’s it, I’m taking you to your hotel room, can’t really leave you like this.”
You grunt, tone rough from the pain you were trying to mask. “Kenny, it’s fi-”
“Don’t give me an it’s fine,” he cuts you off, any playfulness leaving his voice as he stares directly into his eyes, “I can see it isn’t. Even through the boots, I can tell your ankle is swollen. Listen, if you really want me to drop it, I will, you can stay here. But do you really wanna risk falling out there in the middle of the party? And then risk staying out of the ring for a month?”
There is a long second of a heavy and defeated silence as you avoid his eyes. Kenny knows you don’t want to go with him, you don’t want to accept his help. He wishes he didn’t need to press, to put the both of you in this situation, but there isn’t much that can be done. And he really hopes you don’t force him to leave you alone right now.
“Listen,” you turn your eyes back to him, they are raw and filled with something that he can’t quite tell, a mix of vulnerability, distrust and pain that breaks his heart, “if you are doing this ‘cause you think I’m going to -”
“I don’t think anything,” he breathes in deep, voice falling close to a whisper as his brows form a crease above his shaken blue eyes, “and I know where you are going with this, but hell, I don’t even care if you are going to still hate me after this, I’m not even trying to get you to forgive me, I just wouldn’t feel good with myself leaving you out here drunk and hurt to fend for yourself.”
There is a pause as you consider his words, he can see you swallowing hard and almost touch the weariness that grips at your mind. It hurts him, but he understands where it comes from, and he understands right now isn’t about how he feels. He knows you are well aware of your drunken state, and just how open it leaves you. It’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to be around him right now, but you both have no other choice.
“Look, I know you,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair, “I know you are going to hide this from everyone else. And the only people I trust to help, well,” he pauses for a moment, running a hand over his face as he gestures to the party still going on, “Nick hasn’t noticed shit ‘cause he is spending time with his wife and Matt has already left the building. Fuck, you can still hate me tomorrow when you wake up cozy in your hotel room, but if I leave now and discover later that you got a broken ankle after this party, I’m gonna feel real bad for not helping.”
Kenny is breathing hard as he finishes his words. Part of you doesn’t want to listen, screaming for you to just leave, walk out and make him prove what he meant when he said he’d drop it. But you knew he was right. The pain on your ankle was only getting worse and you were too drunk to be walking around like this right now. You’d seen Nick with his wife, they were happy and you’d rather not cut their good time short. Now, with Matt having already left, it was really only you and Kenny.
You bite your lip, avoiding his eyes for a long second as a heavy stillness hangs over you. Sighing, you look back at him, blue eyes engulfing you in a strange feeling as you nod in agreement. “Ok,” the word is barely a whisper, but Kenny hears it, nodding back to you in acknowledgment.
“Alright then, I got my car in the parking lot,” he responds in a gentle tone, offering a small smile of reassurance.
You try to walk forward, taking slow, tentative steps. But the pain in your ankle flares up again, making you wince as you stumble forward, Kenny’s warm hands catching you by the shoulders. You reach out and hold onto his bicep, trying to steady yourself as you step forward. Still, it helps very little and you wince, grunting in rage at your uncooperative body. Before you can notice it, Kenny lowers his body and you can feel him pull your hand towards his shoulders.
“Come on,” he mutters, urging you to accept his help.
You still take a second to consider before finally giving in. Your ankle hurt and you were tired and all you wanted was for this night to be over. And right now, Kenny was your best bet for that. As much as you hated it, these were the cards you were dealt. You slide your hand over his broad shoulders, holding on as you wait for him to lift you from the side so he could help you walk. Except, he had other ideas.
Kenny pulls you by the hand, swiftly placing your body on his back, arms slung over his shoulders. Lowering himself a bit more, he adjusts you in place before hooking his hands under your knees, pulling your legs up and straightening his posture. With a quick motion, he pulls you up on his back, curving forward not to let you fall. You were still dazed by the alcohol and the sudden shift in position certainly didn’t help, but you still managed to catch your grip on his shoulders as he got up.
“What are you doing?” You almost shrieked as your body shook with the movement, holding tight to his shoulders, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt.
“Faster this way,” he said, adjusting the position of your legs around his sides as he began walking towards the doors at the end of the hall, “besides it takes the weight off of your ankle, let’s try not to make it worse.”
“Humiliating,” you mumble, earning a laugh from Kenny that reverberates into your body.
“Well,” he shrugs, pausing for a second as you grunt, “you should have just worn the brace.”
Kenny shrugs a little, and you can feel the movements of every muscle in his broad shoulders. Part of you wants to rebuke him, fight out of his grip, tell him you didn’t need help, but you felt too tired, and your ankle was really hurting after the whole night. He was right, the bastard, and now he was helping you, despite not really having a reason to actually care. Kenny wasn’t exactly the one person you’d think to help, and yet, here he was. However, that was a complex thought that you were too drunk to untangle.
Breathing in, you accept your fate and try to calm down, no use overthinking when the alcohol still had your mind hazy. You relax your grip around his shoulders, fingers releasing their death hold on the soft fabric of his button up. Kenny walks in silence with you on his back, the only sound being his shoes hitting the floor. The quiet has you hyper aware of the warmth of his body against you and the smell of his skin so close to yours. You can feel the movement of the muscles in his back, time his breathes by their rhythmic expansion.
He was larger now than before, broader than back when you were together. It’s not like you hadn’t noticed it, but only now, seeing it from up close, the difference actually downed on you. You could see the way his shirt tightens around his size, fabric stretching over his broad shoulders and thick arms. You could feel his muscles straining under your weight, even though Kenny made carrying you seem effortless.
Getting to the end of the hallway, he pushed one of the double doors open with his feet and stepped off into the parking lot. The air outside felt cold, and though you knew it never bothered Kenny, he still sped up his pace. Soon you were met with his car, he opened the door and unceremoniously dropped you in the passenger seat before heading to the driver’s side.
“Alright,” he spoke softly just as the doors clicked shut, looking at you, one hand gripping the wheel as the other turned the keys, the motor instantly roaring to life, “let’s get you to your hotel then.”
sponsored by: @xladyxfatex @wanderbreadsworld @madds-97 @morgan-bucks @tahiri-veyla @slut4kennyomega
87 notes
·
View notes