Tears and Smiles (Original version)

Chapter 8

(8th October 2026)

Axel woke up comparatively late considering he didn't sleep almost at all. Sunlight was pouring through the windows and Axel groaned not wanting to get up at all. He sat up groggily and flinched when sunlight hit his face and cursed at who left the curtains open.

"oh right! I was the one who opened the curtains yesterday." He thought and chuckled at his foolishness.

He went inside the bathroom and stared at the mirror before he remembered what happened the previous night. A blush rose on to his face and he tried to stop thinking about what he heard and what happened in their room because he'll get hard again. He took a cold-water bath, brushed and got dressed before deciding to go downstairs to eat breakfast.

As it was late in the morning, he expected Kai and Miles to be gone. They usually left early so he knew they'd be gone. But what he didn't expect when he reached the kitchen was two incredibly handsome guys, on the counter, making out with each other.

He stood there frozen for a second, the blush returning to his cheeks and it didn't seem that they knew he entered because they continued making out. Axel cleared his throat and if they didn't see him there before, they definitely did now because they jumped apart so fast, if Axel would have just reached, he wouldn't have noticed.

Kai started blushing and hid in Miles's chest while Miles just smirked, his blue eyes deeply looking into Axel's eyes. Axel's blush intensified and he suddenly looked down calming himself.

"He's just messing with you. Don't fall for them again. He just messing with your brain" Axel said to himself before sighing and looking back up. By then they were a couple of feet apart and were not facing each other. Instead Kai was arranging a plate of scrambled eggs, probably for Axel, and Miles was sitting on the counter top doing...nothing.

"We're not going to work today so I'll drop you off to work." Miles said facing Axel. He just nodded and sat down, very well knowing why they took their day off. He could see the slight limp when Kai was walking and the smirk on Miles's face whenever he looked at Kai's limping.

"Just make sure you don't be too loud next time. I couldn't sleep." Axel said before he could stop himself. As soon as he realized, he slapped his hand on his mouth and flushed in embarrassment.

Even Miles looked surprised by this. His and Kai's eyes widened as they looked at each other. "You heard us?" Kai asked in a horrified tone staring at Axel. "ummm.... Maybe?" Axel said but it sounded more like a question. Kai glared at Miles with an evident blush but his glare looked like the one which a mother would give her children when they did something they weren't supposed to do.

Miles, who didn't get affected by the glare shrugged his shoulders before saying, "It was your fault. You looked so good that I couldn't control myself."

"I'm still here you know" Axel said when Kai blushed after hearing Miles's statement.

"Oh god, yes we know. Now will you eat and stop teasing me" Kai muttered and left the kitchen, probably going to their bedroom. Miles smirked again before going after Kai.

Axel sighed and started eating. He couldn't lie by saying that he didn't feel jealous seeing them interact like that. He yearned for love. Specifically love by them. He wanted to be held and cuddled, kissed and praised by them but god had to hate him so much didn't he. That's why he made him suffer so much.

After completing breakfast, he left to his room and decided to take a nap cause...... why not? He was tired anyways.

He set his alarm and fell into a not so long sleep.

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Axel woke up with the sound of alarm blaring into his ears. He got up and checked the time, realizing he still has time to eat before going downstairs for lunch.

Kai and Miles who were sitting in the living room watching some movie turned to look at Axel when they heard him come down.

"Finally! We were waiting for you. I'm so hungry, let's have lunch." Kai cheered and ran into the kitchen and Axel followed.

"Then why didn't you eat already. You guys know that you don't have to wait for me." Axel muttered and joined the both of them.

"Well, it feels nice to have lunch together. So, I was waiting. Anyhow..." Kai started blabbering about some film he was watching but Axel was deep in thought. They waited for him because they felt nice to have lunch with him? They might have done it for formality but it didn't look like that. Kai's words seemed so genuine. A small smile tugged on Axel's lips as he stared at his food. He wished everyday was like today (Leaving the kissing part).

"Ok Axel stop. You're smiling creepily but you're staring at your food. It's so weird." Kai said looking at Axel with a weird expression.

"Uh huh" Axel said and shook his head and smiled softly.

They continued eating and talking nonsense and for the first time after Victor died, Axel felt he had somebody. Probably small actions like making him breakfast or waiting for him to have lunch or dropping him to work when they're free, makes him feel so much at home. He smiled wide for the first time in seven years and even though they didn't notice, he genuinely felt happy. The thing he didn't know was that this will be the last time he will be so happy in a very long time.

After having lunch, Miles and Kai started driving with Axel to drop him in Walmart. There was a comfortable silence when Miles decided to break it.

"Kai's mother is visiting in a couple of days."