Page 71 of Killing Me Softly

“Yeah.” Kenny swept his knuckles along Aaron’s cheek. “I love every chaotic, uncontrollable, feral morsel of it. Of you.” Hekissed him again, slower this time, pouring every unsaid word into the touch.

When he pulled back, he didn’t retreat far. He hovered, just looking, sweeping his eyes over Aaron’s face as if it were something sacred. He traced each line, each scar, each piece that made Aaron who he was, and a long breath escaped, warm and unsteady, mingling with Aaron’s.

“And in case that’s not clear enough,” Kenny said, “I’m in love with you, too.”

Aaron’s lips quirked into a smile, but it was softer than his usual smirk. Honest.Vulnerable. “Glad we got that cleared up.”

Kenny chuckled, brushing his forehead to Aaron’s for the briefest second before he dipped away. “It’s been lingering a while.”

“Yeah.”

Kenny let the moment stretch between them, eyes locked on Aaron’s, holding him there. Letting the words sink in. The rawness of them. The truth neither had dared speak before and he watched as it settled in Aaron’s expression, a glimmer of disbelief chased by acceptance, then something that might’ve been hope.

“Now,” Kenny said softly, pulling them back to the moment, “close your eyes.”

Aaron hesitated for a fraction of a heartbeat, then did as he was told. His lashes fluttered shut, leaving him exposed and unguarded in a way that made Kenny’s chest tighten. Kenny straightened and sat back on the coffee table, peeking behind him. Jack stood there, arms crossed, unreadable expression. But as their gazes held, Jack’s features softened, the tension in his shoulders easing, and his mouth curved into a small, tentative smile. He gave a subtle nod. A gesture carrying more significance than words could. Kenny exhaled, his breath shaky, and returned the nod. It was unspoken but understood. Thepast between them, long fractured and fraught with wounds, was finally finding its place to rest. Forgiveness didn’t come with fanfare, but it was there in the quiet acknowledgement. A shared understanding that some things didn’t need to be said aloud.

He turned back to Aaron. Physically. Metaphorically.

“I’m going to count down from ten,” Kenny said, lilting his voice lower, slipping into the smooth cadence of hypnosis. “As I do, focus on your breath. Feel the weight of your body sinking into the sofa, feel the warmth against your skin, the stillness in your fingertips. Every breath you take releases more tension. Your limbs are heavy, but your mind is light.”

Aaron’s fingers twitched, but he nodded. His breathing had already slowed, deeper, more rhythmic.

“Ten. Nine. Eight. With each number, your body melts further into the sofa, heavier, as if the fabric is pulling you gently downward, deeper and deeper…Seven. Six. Your thoughts drift, slow and distant, like waves retreating from the shore…Five. Four. Your arms and legs are weightless, floating, detached from anything holding you down…Three. Two. Your mind is open, but you are safe. Secure. Nothing can touch you here.…One.”

A stillness settled over Aaron, his chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm, his grip on Kenny’s hand loosening.

Kenny swallowed hard, unease gnawing at the edges of his resolve.

He knew this was wrong.Ethically wrong.

Kenny knew the risks. Knew themintimately.

If this got out—if anyone found out what he was about to do—his career wouldn’t just take a hit. It wouldend.

If the British Psychological Society got wind of this, they wouldn’t hesitate. His chartered status would be revoked. His license to practice? Gone. Years of research, casework, credibility—all of it—wiped from existence. No professorship. No career. No future in the field.

All it would take was one wrong word, one hint of perceived misconduct, and he wouldn’t just lose his job—he could face formal investigation. Potential charges. He could be discredited entirely, labelled as unethical, predatory, dangerous.

Fuck, maybe he was.

Because despite knowing all of this, despite the consequences clawing at the back of his mind like a warning heshouldlisten to, he was still here. Still doing it.

Kenny clenched his fists.

He was already too far gone.

So he continued.

“I need you to start somewhere safe first. A neutral place. Somewhere you feel at peace.”

Aaron’s lips parted, brows twitching as if searching. Kenny waited. Didn’t push. Just let the silence guide them.

“Are you there?” he eventually asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Aaron’s response was faint. “Yeah.”

“Good.” Kenny squeezed his hand. “Where are you?”

---