Let Me Hold You //Apply Fic//

//chapter .18//

Charlie stumbled backwards as Corben shoved past, face sharp and drawn. He was a about to follow after the older teen when a sweet voice cut through the silent aftermath of Corben's outburst.

"My love, what has angered you so?"

He could have sworn it was Kai, but the look on her face, and the words, the sound, it was all wrong. Corben stopped, his gaze darkening further, before turning around and going toward her.

His face did not match his actionscas he pressed his forehead to Kai's. "Princess, I wish we had just run away, alone, together."

Kai's gaze was soft as she touched her hand to his cheek. "Who said that we could not do so now?"

Corben shuddered, breaking the spell of the moment. Kai inhaled sharply and leaned back, Carmen grabbed Charlie's arm and dug her fingers into it. "I can't do this Kai. Not right now, not anymore."

"A pity," Kai looked startled, as if she had not meant for those words to come out. "That my love should suffer so."

Charlie could see Corben's face, sweat dotting on his brow, a strained expression tugging at his features. "Kai please, please, just fight it for me, fight it for me just this onc-" he his words were cut off as he pulled Kai into a kiss, fingers grasping at her back, her hands gripping desperately to his arms for balance as he towered above her.

Charlie felt heat and embarrassment rush through him, and Carmen made a small sound, like a kicked dog, tightening her hold on him.

Avery was standing on the other side of the clearing, wide eyed as he stared at the two of them, lost in each other. Charlie was going to be sick.

Corben suddenly reeled back, shoving Kai away as he stumbled down to his knees, chest heaving. Kai let out a cry and flung her arms around him. "Corben, I am so sorry. I tried to stop it, I really did, I'm sorry, please, please don't cry."

But she was crying as she held him, and Carmen was making strange noises and a headache was starting to jam it's way into his skull.

"Corben, what the f-"

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Avery took a tentative step forward. "Corben, are you... ok?"

Kai brushed a lock of white hair off his forehead. "Give him a moment," she said in a low voice. "He doesn't need more problems added to him."

When he had finally stopped shaking, Kai leaned down and murmured something unto his ear before rising and walking over to Avery. She grabbed him by the elbow and hauled him back across the clearing, to Charlie and Carmen. "Follow me."

They didn't fight it, just listened, until they were far away enough to talk without being heard, or at least, that's why Avery thought Kai had dragged them this far.

"Charlie, don't get mad at him." Kai's voice was firm, reminding him of a teacher from years ago. "Neither of us can help it. When the game pulls out a cutscene, we can't fight it, no matter how hard we try."

She turned her attention toward Carmen. "That goes for you too. You can be jealous of me all you want, but it's not like either of us chose to be in this position. And Avery..."

She trailed off, then chewed her bottom lip. "Actually I didn't have anything to tell you. You're pretty chill."

Charlie made a face. "Still, Kai, he didn't have to react like that afterwards. He acted like touching you was burning him."