Chapter 9
S ince they would miss the game, once Levy was cleared to move the next morning, Management decided it was better to fly them straight home. It might have been weird to be on a commercial flight with a teammate, if Kallen could have paid any mind to anything that wasn’t Levy. He was wearing dark sunglasses, since he was still sensitive to light, and he let Kallen guide him towards their seats without a single joke.
“You are sweet,” the omega flight attendant told him when he served them their drinks. Levy’s eyes were closed and he was resting his head on Kallen’s shoulder, and he knew what it must have looked like. But the guy had already moved on to the opposite aisle and what would he have said anyway? He is not mine? It was both true and not. Levy was his alpha, at least as far as he could have one at all, even if they hadn’t... His friend snuggled further into him and Kallen squeezed him close. “Hey,” he whispered. “Drink your ginger tea, it’ll help.”
Levy wasn’t exactly thrilled at the choice of beverage, but he let Kallen hold the cup for him to take a few sips before deciding he was too tired and curling up half on top of his shoulder again.
Going home with Levy wasn’t a decision. They were alone at the airport since Management had stayed with the team, so it was only reasonable to grab a cab to go to their building. Once there, he got Levy settled on the sofa and sorted out some food—the Chinese restaurant in the corner had three types of soup and Kallen opted for that and half their menu just in case.
“Soup?” Levy asked, frowning at the pot. They only had a lamp in the corner on, which they’d determined was as much illumination as he could handle at the moment. “You know I have a headache, right? Nothing wrong with my stomach.”
“Yeah?” Kallen challenged. “You were about to throw up in the plane.”
“Planes move weird,” Levy muttered, but he brought the bowl up and took a slurping drink from it.
“Uh huh,” Kallen agreed, and he was still watching him when his friend put down the bowl and looked at him.
His attempt to raise an eyebrow made him wince, but he still told Kallen, “Eat, man.”
He must have skipped a meal in there somewhere because once he started, he found he couldn’t stop. He was pretty sure he wasn’t dehydrated but he probably needed some supplements or whatever.
Levy was mostly dozing with his eyes open by the time he put down his plate, making Kallen’s stomach clench with guilt. He reached out to touch his friend’s knee since it felt safer than anywhere on his upper body. “You okay?”
The alpha blinked at him. “Knackered, but, like, also gross.”
Kallen got up, taking the empty glass Levy was holding in his good hand and setting it on the coffee table. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you into the shower first.”
Levy straightened, but mostly to shoot him an incredulous look. “Let’s? Just help me get up and I’ll be fine.”
The indignation didn’t quite work when he could barely keep his eyes open and he had his arm in a sling to keep it at a comfortable angle. Kallen held out his hand anyway and Levy took it, they pulled together until he was upright, grimacing only a little.
He let go and stepped around the sofa just enough to let Levy pass by him, then followed as he headed for the bathroom, ignoring his sigh. “I’m fine, Kallen,” he insisted. “I can walk, remember?”
“Uh huh,” Kallen agreed. “And how are you planning to take off your shirt?” he asked, opening the bathroom door and holding it for him in invitation.
Levy huffed. “Okay, fine, if you want to see me shirtless that badly...”
Kallen didn’t bother with a verbal response, rolling his eyes instead.
They didn’t speak as he carefully took hold of Levy’s left elbow to remove the sling from around his neck, then got his hands under the hem of his t-shirt and dragged it slowly up his torso. His left half was black and blue, the elbow had taken the brunt of the fall, but obviously not all of it. Levy shivered and Kallen realised he’d let his fingers linger on one of the bruises.
“Um, water,” he said, stepping back and circling him to turn on the water.
When he turned around again, Levy was fighting with his jeans’ button, and Kallen didn’t even think before he pushed his hand away to do it for him. He was about to go for the zip as well before he realised there was no need.
He didn’t look away as Levy swallowed and lowered it himself. And it was lucky, really, because it was at that point that they both realised Levy still had his shoes on and was at risk of tripping if he tried to keep going.
Or not so lucky when Kallen hit his knees and realised how close his face was to his friend’s crotch. Not that this was a sexy moment, Levy’s sneakers were a little damp, and it took all of Kallen’s concentration to undo the laces.
He still had to look up, but he pretended his face wasn’t burning and kept his eyes on the periphery of Levy’s hip. “Step back, if you sit on the toilet...”
Levy was uncharacteristically silent as he did what he asked. Kallen lifted first one foot and then the other, getting rid of shoes and socks. Then he pressed his tongue hard against his palate and tugged at the hems of the jeans. “Lift up.”
Having Levy lift his hips up towards his face was nearly enough to send him falling onto his arse, but he held on, and he even reached up and pulled at the side of the jeans to help.
“Thanks,” Levy said, voice rough. “I can take it from here.”
Kallen looked up at him incredulously and immediately regretted it. It didn’t matter that he was a mess of mottled bruises and tangled curls, half of his left arm taped up in neon green, he was stunning. Under the superficial damage, the strength of his body shone like a beacon whose call Kallen couldn’t ignore.
Except of course he fucking could. He rolled to the side and to his feet, going to the sink to wash his hands. “I’m not gonna leave so you can slip in the shower and crack your head open again.”
“Again?” Levy snorted. “I don’t have a concussion, remember?”
“You are still hurt,” Kallen told the hand towel he was squeezing too hard. “And you... You took care of me.” He turned around, daring Levy to contradict him. “So just... It’s not a big deal, man.”
Levy was just watching him, body nearly completely exposed but face closed. Then, as if reaching a decision, he dropped his shoulders, slumping a little. “Okay, thank you.”
THANKFULLY LEVY PREFERRED boxers, so he could drag them off his hips on his own and let them drop. Of course, after that, Kallen was painfully aware that if he even glanced down, he’d get a show. So, he didn’t, standing by the side of the bathtub as Levy got in, ready to steady him but not touching, his gaze focused on Levy’s patched-up elbow. At least the tape would dry up so there was no need to cover it.
Stepping into the spray put Levy a bit too far for safety, but the groan he let out as the hot water hit him was like a punch right in the gut, so it took Kallen a minute to realise there was nothing safe about standing on the other side of the glass screen.
He kicked off his own shoes and socks and stepped right into the bathtub.
Levy turned too fast towards him, water clinging to his eyelashes like he was some of sort of mystical fairy knight, his golden skin gleaming under the soft sunlight coming in through the high window above them. He kept his balance and Kallen kept his hands halfway between their bodies. “You could fall,” he explained.
Levy’s eyes flashed down Kallen’s body. “You’re gonna—” He shook his head. “Okay,” he agreed, and turned his back on him again. It was a relief, even if Kallen’s eyes betrayed him to follow the well-formed shape of his shoulders. He clenched them shut, berating himself silently.
“Pass me the shampoo?” his friend asked.
Kallen found it behind him on the edge, but he stilled before giving it over. “Um, I can pour it into your hand?”
Levy’s shoulders twitched. “You could put it into my hair,” he said, so quietly the water nearly drowned him out.
Kallen swallowed hard. He knew he was being ridiculous, Levy had... Levy had fucked him. He didn’t remember it, but he knew it had happened. There was no fucking reason that the offer to wash his hair should be making his dick get interested in the conversation.
Not that it mattered, it clearly made sense since Levy couldn’t lift his left arm anyway. And...
Kallen wanted to.
He wanted a lot more than that, but he wanted this too, to be allowed to care for Levy when he needed it, to be trusted in a moment like this.
“Okay,” he managed to say, and poured a little too much of the green liquid into his left hand. It smelled like green apples, a scent he already associated with Levy. He placed his right hand on Levy’s right shoulder and guided him a step backwards away from the spray. It left Kallen at the edge of the tub, with not a single step backwards left, but that didn’t matter. He placed his left hand on Levy’s skull, mindful of the bump he knew he’d find there, then joined it with the right.
The angle was awkward as fuck, but Kallen took it slowly, swiping with his thumbs and rubbing with the rest of his fingers only when he knew he was on a safe zone. Levy didn’t speak, but he let out little noises, of pleasure and discomfort, to guide his hands. Even when his shoulders started aching, Kallen didn’t want to stop, but of course that was being selfish. He was more than done spreading shampoo.
He started pulling away, but Levy made another noise.
“Mmm... neck?”
Kallen’s hands went lower on their own, pushing a little harder at what he found were the very stiff sternocleidomastoid muscles at each side of Levy’s throat. “Damn,” he murmured. “You are—” Levy’s head tipped further back and the next thing he knew, Kallen’s arms were around him to keep him from falling.
“Fuck,” Levy breathed out, his back expanding against Kallen’s chest. He was warm in Kallen’s arms. Soaking through his shirt, and Kallen was still tempted to hold on to him. Slowly, he loosened his grip and settled him back on his own two feet. “Sorry.”
“Rinse,” Kallen replied. He was trying very hard not to think about anything. Not until he got Levy out of this watery death trap and settled safely in his own bed.
“Give me soap first.”
It was also liquid, thankfully, and this time Kallen poured it for him and then, once he turned around, gently scrubbed at his back. He’d known Levy was strong and he’d certainly seen him shirtless often enough, but touching his spine still gave him a semi no matter how hard he bit at the inside of his cheek. He kept himself back and carefully didn’t think about where Levy’s hand was, or whether he himself could have done a more thorough job.
They managed to get out of the shower without falling, and Kallen had to leave him waiting over the mat when he realised Levy had been away too long and his towels were kept in the spare bedroom.
He was dripping himself, the bottom of his trousers having soaked up a lot of soapy water, so he picked a couple of extra towels to drop on the floor to keep it safe.
When he got back, he found Levy was drying his face and upper torso with the hand towel. “What?” he asked. “I’m freezing, man.”
And he could hardly dry himself properly one-armed, Kallen realised. He stepped forward with the big towel spread. “Turn around.”
Levy went easily, allowing Kallen to once again envelop him in his arms, rubbing vigorously on the right and tentatively on the left, then patting his stomach dry before tying the towel around his hips. “Hair now,” he announced and used the second towel to gently absorb most of the water from his curls.
Other than wince when Kallen reached the part where he’d knocked his head, Levy just let him do it, ignoring Kallen’s quiet apology.
Kallen tugged at his good elbow. “Come on, bed now.”
“Yes, please,” Levy mumbled, leaning a little on him once they reached the corridor. He snorted, probably at the towels on the floor, but kept going.
His room was messy, clothes piled up on the comfy looking armchair in the corner and one of the wardrobe door’s hanging halfway open. The bed was made, though, which might have been the cleaning service or the sole refuge of order amidst the chaos.
Levy stopped halfway to the bed, saying. “Underwear drawer.”
Kallen opened it for him, revealing it was also messy, and Levy took a blue pair and started ambling back to the bed, dropping down heavily on it and clearly regretting it when it jostled his arm.
He looked about ready to fall asleep, and Kallen nearly offered him more help before he bit his tongue and went to the opposite side of the bed and pulled the covers free. “Gonna go dry up the corridor,” he said, and he was at the threshold when Levy responded.
“Clothes.”
He turned around, confused. “You wanna get dressed?”
Levy shook his head. “Get clothes for you.” He gestured with his chin at the dresser.
For a moment, Kallen contemplated telling him to forget it. After all, he’d only need to go downstairs to get his own clothes. But that would have meant leaving Levy in his flat alone and... He’d be coming back here anyway, wouldn’t he? He found himself some bottoms and a random band t-shirt as quickly as he could.
“Done!” He flashed Levy a smile. “Be back in a minute.”
IT WAS MORE THAN A minute, but he’d left the door open in case Levy needed him and he wanted to give his friend enough privacy to sort himself out on his own if he could manage it. If anyone knew how much it sucked to be helpless, it was Kallen.
Levy must have been on the same page, because when he did get back, he had accomplished the great feat of putting on shorts and dropping his wet towel on a puddle on the floor. He grumbled when Kallen encouraged him to get under the covers, but with a little tugging, they managed to get him there, warm and safe.
It wasn’t until he was folding the clothes on the armchair so he could sit down that it even crossed Kallen’s mind that he should tell someone about Levy’s state. He opened the team group chat and discovered several mentions of both their names.
[Home and safe. Pollack sleeping it off.]
He added a funny gif to make it a little softer, but he didn’t reply when someone asked him how he was. He was fine, obviously, and the captain and Lombardi could attest to it.