Epilogue - Kane
Kane steps onto the porch. His hand drifts over the railing, worn smooth where the paint has chipped away. The boards groan under his feet, even more than before. For a heartbeat, his uncle’s boots thud behind him. Aunt Tina’s laugh rings through the air.
The memory fades as he raises his hand to the security panel by the door. As the machine reads his palm, Kane’s focus drifts to the tinted window screen where a shadowed figure slips by. His lips tug into a smile, and the front door opens with a beep.
Inside, the walls keep their warm colors, the floor its old-fashioned planks.
Everything else has changed.
Furniture from his old place above the bar is scattered among sleek containers of Rafael’s belongings, half-unpacked and blinking with scrolling text of what’s inside.
“Kane? You home already?”
His head snaps toward the voice.
Rafael stands in the kitchen doorway, shirt sleeves rolled up, with a smaller, half-open box in his arms.
Kane’s grin widens. “Expecting someone else?” he teases as he shrugs off his boots and armor to the floor.
“Of course not.” Rafael laughs, setting the box on the kitchen floor beside a group of others.
Kane drops his gear onto a box near his old couch and crosses the room. His hands settle at Rafael’s waist, drawing him close. Rafael’s arms slide around his shoulders like they’ve always belonged there.
As their lips meet, the noise of the day falls away. The tense meeting with the lieutenants. The clumsy new recruits. Reclaiming District Four. Nothing else matters. At least for the moment.
There’s only the warmth of Rafael’s mouth, the steady press of his body with the familiar citrus-and-smoke scent of home.
When they part, Kane rests his forehead against Rafael’s, reluctant to let even an inch separate them. He almost wishes he’d let Coda install that memory loop in his visor after all—just to keep this. His first time walking back through that door after patrols.
He takes in the kitchen when they separate, noting the old setup alongside their jumble of ingredients and tools. “Looks like Coda’s drones came through. I mentioned to him earlier that we ran out of time to get everything.”
“Yeah, they dropped by about an hour ago.” Rafael’s attention flicks to the container at his feet with the word “seasonings” scrolling along the side. “I unpacked a bit since the stand was closed…but I didn’t want to move too much without you here. Felt kind of strange.”
“I had a feeling,” Kane declares, lifting from Rafael’s waist to cradle his jaw. Rafael instantly leans into the touch. “That’s why I spoke with the lieutenants tonight. From now on, I’m taking at least three night shifts off a week.”
“Really? Are you sure?” Rafael asks, practically beaming.
Kane nods, fingers threading through his dark curls. “They’ll manage fine without me. And if they don’t, it’s not like I can’t be reached.”
Rafael’s hold tightens. “Thank you, Kane,” he murmurs. “I knew the opposite schedules were bothering me. I just didn’t realize how much until we moved in here.” His voice drops lower. “I was even considering bringing it up tonight…”
The admission twists a knot in Kane’s chest.
Sliding a hand to the back of Rafael’s head, he tilts their faces closer. “Now you don’t have to,” Kane says. “Tonight, we do whatever we want. And tomorrow…we have the whole day, the whole night.”
Tension eases from Rafael’s face. “I’ve missed this. Getting to be together…without watching the time,” he whispers.
Kane’s thumb traces his cheekbone. “Exactly.”
Brown eyes flutter open, plush lips curving upward. “So…we’ve got time to unpack or cook dinner…” Rafael drawls, a flush spreading across his cheeks. “But maybe we should start upstairs…make sure Coda’s drones didn’t mess with the bed.”
Desire surges through Kane. “Good idea. We’ll take a look upstairs.” He guides Rafael’s face up, closing the distance as he tilts down.
Rafael’s smile sharpens, inching closer. Kane meets him halfway.
The kiss deepens instantly, and a groan tears from Rafael. When Kane’s tongue darts past them, his pulse races at the familiar taste of cinnamon and citrus.
But not here. Not with boxes stacked everywhere and nowhere to sit.
Mouths parting slowly, he meets a dark and heavy-lidded gaze. “Let’s go check on that bed,” Kane husks out.
An arm slides behind Rafael’s back, the other under his legs, and with a grunt, Kane scoops him up. Rafael laughs, arms circling his neck, while Kane rushes toward the stairs.
Halfway up, he catches his reflection in a mirror in a darkened window screen and lets out a snort.
A laugh drifts up from Rafael. “What?”
Kane exhales, a strange weight pressing against his ribs. “I just—” He adjusts his grip as they keep moving. “I want to keep this. Somewhere to call home. Time off. You…waiting for me at the end of the day, or vice versa.”
Rafael nestles into the crook of his neck. “I don’t want to lose it either. I love it here, Kane.”
“Good.” He gathers Rafael against him. “Because like I said, I’m not letting you go. Ever.”
“Good,” Rafael echoes, leaning back.
A shiver racing down his spine, Kane carries Rafael through the last stretch of the hall.
The door at the end glides open at their approach, revealing a large bedroom cluttered with scattered boxes and mismatched furniture.
He guides them through the chaos toward the bed, lowering Rafael onto familiar sheets before following him down, knees bracketing his waist. One arm braces against the mattress while his free hand raises to cup the side of Rafael’s face, drawing him closer.
When they finally meet, the tension coiled in Kane snaps. He can’t seem to undress Rafael fast enough. A few tugs loosen the apron at his waist, the strap slipping free—but before Kane can strip it away, Rafael yanks the smock off himself.
Kane chuckles against his mouth and pulls away. “Going too slow?” he teases, already working the zipper down.
Pink blooms at Rafael’s cheeks. Nodding, he slides free of his sleeves.
As the shirt falls away, Kane drinks in the sight of the man, half-dressed and already flushed.
“What a sight…” A chrome finger traces down Rafael’s tan chest, savoring the warmth beneath. So different from the coolant that runs beneath Kane’s artificial limbs.
“I want to see you too,” Rafael breathes, reaching for the collar of Kane’s jacket. He stretches the fabric toward Kane’s shoulders.
With a smirk, Kane shifts until he’s straddling Rafael, then pushes off the bed entirely. Rafael’s expression falters—until Kane positions himself at the edge.
Understanding flickers across Rafael’s face. He shifts to the edge of the mattress, legs dangling off the side. Kane steps between them and starts shrugging out of his jacket.
The moment the coat hits the floor, Rafael’s palm moves over his exposed skin, tracing the neural-lace tendrils that snake from the base of his skull down into his chest. His touch lingers on the pendants hanging between them, the new nestled beside the old.
“Like what you see?” Kane purrs.
His question barely registers. Rafael’s focus stays fixed as he drifts closer to Kane’s waistband. Before he can make contact, Kane catches him, drawing his gaze.
“If you want the full show…” His voice drops to a whisper as he guides Rafael toward the bulge in his pants. “You’ll have to give me something in return.”
Rafael’s fingers curl against the fabric. As if reading Kane’s mind, he nods.
A jolt tears through Kane, want curling low as his pants tighten by the second. Still, he resists, letting Rafael pull the zipper down—never breaking eye contact. The moment stretches until warm fingers finally slip past his boxers and wrap around his cock.
Kane’s hand shoots out, gripping Rafael by the curls. “Ah, sweetheart. Fuck. That’s it.”
The praise earns a reward—a firmer grip, a stroke so slow it borders on cruel.
His eyes squeeze shut, everything narrowing to friction and heat.
It doesn’t last. He feels Rafael slip lower, giving a firm squeeze at the base. Kane’s lashes flutter open.
Once satisfied, Kane shifts his weight and looks up. Rafael is already watching him. He gives a single nod.
That’s all the confirmation he needs.
“Fuck,” Kane groans, fisting Rafael’s hair.
Rafael doesn’t stop—if anything, he doubles down. His tongue swirls around Kane’s length, tracing each ridge.
No words escape him.
Only a deep, guttural moan as the air escapes his lungs.
Each lick sends a fresh tremor through his body, restraint fraying with every stroke—
Then the suction disappears. Rafael’s hand slides over to settle at his hip.
Kane freezes. Then he sees that red mouth, wet and waiting.
An invitation.
He doesn’t hesitate. One sharp thrust drives him forward, burying himself in Rafael’s throat.
They groan in unison. The vibration shoots through his cock.
“Fuck,” he gasps, releasing Rafael’s hair to take his cock in hand. Guiding himself slowly, Kane sinks deeper.
Halfway in, Rafael opens wider.
It nearly undoes him.
His hips jerk as a white-hot pull builds low and fast. Only just before he can topple the edge, Kane clamps around his base.
Not yet.
With a trembling breath, he eases himself free and gives a gentle tug at Rafael’s arm.
Confusion creases his forehead, but Rafael doesn’t resist, letting Kane guide him backward.
When they reach the mattress, Kane lowers him with care. Then he rises again and hurries to shed the rest of his clothes.
Pants and underwear fall to the carpet in a crumple. A heartbeat later, he’s on the bed, a knee slipping between Rafael’s thighs with the other by his hip.
His hand presses into the mattress beside unruly curls. With the other, Kane reaches for Rafael’s zipper.
A soft smile tugs at Rafael’s lips as he moves to help. They fumble with the fabric, and in a few awkward tugs, the pants are flung aside.
By the time Kane reaches his boxers, his patience is long gone. He grips the waistband of Rafael’s underwear and yanks. The fabric gives with a tear, split clean up the side.