~5~

Kieran never really showed intense emotions so Bryan couldn't work out how the past moments made him feel.

He couldn't decide if he hated it or not. 

Kieran cursed inaudibly, taking a couple deep draws of his cigarette. 

He had been thrown off by Bryan's attitude all day but that wasn't an excuse, that wasn't a reason to get so worked up.

He didn't like the fact that he was smoking after Bryan asked him not to but that only made him need the nicotine sticks even more.

Because he had never cared about what other people said or did to him.

Taking him out for lunch was a bad idea, he should have instead let Bryan calm down all by himself, knowing him, he would be back the next morning like clock work.

A niggling sensation at the back of his head said otherwise though, and that wasn't even the reason he had gone after Bryan.

He was worried.

Kieran had planned to smoke his way through lunch but couldn't bring himself to light up a new stick, dragging his eyes back to Bryan.

To find him staring at him with a look in his eyes that made Kieran panic slightly but then he brushed it off.

Bryan was probably just upset because of what Leon and Darian had told him, everything would go back to normal in a couple days.

"I'm all done." Bryan cleared his throat to say, Kieran had been avoiding looking at him ever since the moment they had. 

He really didn't want to prod, he just wanted some time away from Kieran so he could think straight and figure things out.

"Not going to get dessert?" Kieran raised a brow.

"Not unless you eat too." Bryan blurted out for the umpteenth time that day and he was about ready to whack himself on the head with his empty cup.

He needed to think more before he spoke.

Kieran shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "Sure."

Bryan gaped at this, then recovered quickly, narrowing his eyes. That was far too easy.

"Alright, what will you have?" He prompted.

"Whatever you order." Kieran said simply, wondering why this was such a big deal.

He took another sip of his drink, if he kept telling himself that he did these things for Bryan because he wanted him to turn out alright, maybe he would convince himself.

Bryan wisely decided to back off, knowing that pushing too hard with Kieran wasn't exactly a safe path to go down.

"Fine." He agreed, ordering a couple fancy muffins to go.

"How was lunch?" Kieran asked casually as they made their way across the parking lot.

He had wanted to take the package from Bryan but worried that he would take it as Kieran, treating him like a kid again.

Bryan glanced up at the taller man, not expecting that question.

The meal had been delicious and he would have rated the restaurant five out of five stars but the waitress had ruined the whole experience. 

"It was really nice, thanks for the food." He replied simply.

"It's nothing." Kieran muttered, taking out one of Bryan's candy sticks and placing it in his mouth.

He hadn't gotten to smoke properly all day and the day hadn't been an easy one either.

Much as he hated to admit it because it proved everyone's theories, he needed his nicotine but couldn't smoke simply because… Bryan.

It hadn't even been this way when Dream got all in his business trying to get him to quit smoking, Erin joining in on hounding him.

He stopped whenever they asked him to, well sometimes but that didn't stop him from lighting up whenever they were gone.

But Bryan just had to scold him and he couldn't smoke for days at a time.

The nicotine sticks were becoming incredibly troublesome, he just might ditch them solely for that fact.

Absently, he opened the passenger side door for Bryan, making sure he got in before securely closing it.

The candy stick in his mouth bobbed gently as he made his way to the driver's side, distracted. 

Bryan watched him closely, he noticed that although Kieran had reacted a tad violently, he had also stopped smoking.

Plus, he opened doors for Bryan and gave him much attention.

The one thing Bryan couldn't wrap his head around though was why.

Why? Why did Kieran do all these things for him?

It wasn't fair of him, to be the only one who had ever tried to understand him, making him grow attached but for what reason?

Why did Kieran keep him around? For company?

Bryan scoffed at the thought, as if. Kieran lived all alone at the edge of the woods, making sure to return home every single night.

He certainly wasn't the type to crave company, unlike Bryan.

Kieran started his car, the engine purring smoothly as he drove out of the parking lot.

The thoughts bubbling in Bryan's throat spilled at this point, he couldn't hold them in any longer.

"Kieran? Why do you keep me around?" He threw at him, his lower lip trembled slightly which made him bite down on it.

Kieran glanced over at this moment, crushing the candy between his sharp teeth at the same time.

"What do you mean?" He asked calmly, glancing back at the road in the hopes that the depressing asphalt would manage to distract him from going back to the image of Bryan biting his lower lip.

This calm response toppled Bryan, he felt dumb, here he was acting like the kid he was trying so hard not to be seen as.

He had been doing nothing all day but throwing tantrums and Kieran had just been taking them in stride.

Kieran took one look at Bryan and parked his car on the side of the road, thankfully they weren't on a main street.

Without thinking, he reached across to turn Bryan's face in his direction, his brow settling low on his forehead at what he saw.

"Why are you crying?" He asked with a frown, worried now.

Bryan turned his face away again, Kieran's hand still cupping his face. "I'm not crying." He bit out. "Why did you stop the car? let's go back to the Pack House."

Kieran pulled his face back to stare up at him, his eyes low lidded as he watched Bryan do a terrible job of stopping his eyes from clouding over with tears.

He had had enough.

Bryan's eyes widened when Kieran's gentle grip on his face tightened, Kieran's fingers digging into the soft skin of his cheek.

"Does being called a kid upset you this much?" He demanded, his voice low.