Chapter Text
The living room is dim, lit only by the flickering light of the muted TV and the soft hum of the radiator that barely does its job. Harry's sitting on the couch, barefoot, hoodie half-zipped, nursing a cup of tea like it’s something stronger. Kevin’s at the kitchen counter, slicing an apple with all the precision of a man who could just as easily dismantle a weapon.
They've lived together for six weeks. Divorces finalized two weeks before that. There’s a dent in the hallway wall from the day Harry moved in — he didn’t want to talk about it, and Kevin didn’t ask.
“I made too much,” Kevin says quietly, holding out a small plate with apple slices and peanut butter. The kind with the fancy sea salt they both pretend not to like.
Harry raises an eyebrow. “That a peace offering or a trap?”
Kevin shrugs, not meeting his gaze. “You’ll never know if you don’t try.”
They eat in silence, cross-legged on the couch now. Shoulders not touching, but close. Harry feels the air shift — something always coils tight between them when the quiet gets too long.
“Remember that summer,” Harry begins, but stops. He doesn’t need to finish it. Kevin’s hand stills mid-bite.
“Yeah,” Kevin says, soft. “I remember.”
Neither of them mentions the kiss behind the shed. Or the blood on Kevin’s shirt the next day. Or how they both pretended it never happened.
“I always wondered if you meant it,” Harry says before he can stop himself.
Kevin’s breath catches, just slightly. “I did,” he admits. Then, after a pause: “But I wasn’t ready. Maybe I’m still not.”
Harry doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t move. He just lets the moment hang between them, quiet and fragile.
Then Kevin leans his head onto Harry’s shoulder — not a kiss, not a promise, just contact. Careful and slow. Like he's still learning how to want without fear.
Harry breathes out, deep and steady.
“Okay,” he murmurs. “We’ve got time.”