chapter 12

Kai's POV

Zach was the definition of chaos. Loud, unpredictable, dramatic, messy in the way hurricanes were messy. He was also the most annoyingly beautiful person Kai had ever met.

And that sucked. For Kai. Who was a structured person. A planner. A man with a color coded calendar and a savings account and a lock on his cereal because Zach once ate an entire box of Honey Bunches of Oats in one sitting and claimed amnesia.

Today had been hell. His boss had micromanaged him through two systems updates, a co-worker spilled cold brew over his keyboard, and the printer jammed five times. Five. Times.

All he wanted was a long shower and to finish debugging the website he was secretly redesigning for fun. Instead, when he opened the door to his apartment, he was hit with the scent of buttery popcorn and the sound of a boy cackling at a cartoon villain dying dramatically.

Zach. On his bed. In his bed. Wearing his oversized grey hoodie. The one Kai specifically wore when he wanted to feel safe and comforted and warm.

Zach looked up. All flushed cheeks and soft curls and bare legs sticking out from under the hem of Kai's hoodie like a personal attack.

"Hey baby coder," he said with a grin. "Tough day?"

Kai stood frozen. Bag still on his shoulder. Brain glitching like a buggy line of code.

"You're in my hoodie," he said dumbly.

Zach blinked innocently. "You left it on the chair. I got cold. Also it smells like you and it's my favorite now so if you want it back you'll have to fight me."

Kai made a strangled sound and dropped his bag.

"Also," Zach continued casually, "I pre ordered Thai food because I know you don't cook on Tuesdays when your boss is being an Excel demon. It'll be here in twenty minutes. I also cleaned the bathroom. You're welcome."

Kai stared. "Did you ....did you break into my routine and make it better?"

Zach tilted his head, eyes glittering. "I broke into your heart too, but we're ignoring that for now."

Kai's cheeks went up in flames.

He should've said something cool. Or funny. Or at the very least, not melted like a microwave marshmallow.

Instead, he toed off his shoes, walked over, and flopped onto the bed with a dramatic sigh, face buried in a pillow. "You are so annoying," he mumbled.

Zach leaned over him, grinning. "And yet your breathing just changed because I'm near you. Fascinating."

Kai turned his head. "Do you have to flirt with me like it's a full time job?"

Zach's grin turned dangerous. "Only if you keep hiring me. Speaking of which" he pulled the hoodie down a little off one shoulder "does this neckline meet your HR standards or should I get written up?"

Kai was officially overheating.

"You're the worst," he muttered again, voice cracking slightly.

Zach looked too pleased with himself. "You love it."

He wasn't wrong.

But it wasn't just the flirting. Or the chaos. It was how Zach always knew when to back off and when to lean in. Like last week when Kai had a mini breakdown about money, and Zach showed up with a spreadsheet and a plan like a romcom himbo in a finance bro arc. Or when Kai pulled three all nighters debugging code, and Zach sat beside him with snacks and energy drinks and "Eye of the Tiger" playing on loop until Kai finally cracked a smile.

It was the tiny things.

Like how Zach always checked the locks before bed even when it wasn't his place. Or how he noticed when Kai's hands were cold and held them casually like it was nothing. Or the way he didn't laugh when Kai info-dumped about Python scripts or his favorite weird tech YouTubers. He just listened. Like it mattered.

Kai peeked at him from under the pillow.

Zach was still there. Still gorgeous. Still smiling like Kai was his favorite joke and his favorite person all at once.

"You're staying over?" Kai asked quietly.

Zach nodded. "If you want me to."

Kai didn't trust his voice, so he just scooted closer. Just enough that their knees touched.

Zach didn't say anything. He just leaned back, one hand casually finding Kai's, fingers sliding together like they'd always been meant to fit.

There was a pause.

Then Kai asked, "You're not gonna steal my cereal again right?"

Zach leaned close, voice a soft growl against his ear.

"No promises."

Kai groaned and pulled the pillow over his head again. But he was smiling.

somewhere deep inside, past the sarcasm and the tech logic and the layers of guarded independence, he was already gone for this boy. Absolutely screwed.