Sharky woke up to the sound of the front door slamming. He lifted his head to look at the man lying in his bed. He placed his hand on the other man's cheek, stroking it with his thumb. Kenny's eyes fluttered open. They smiled at each other.
"How'd you sleep?" Sharky asked, his voice still hoarse from sleep.
The man smiled and leaned in to kiss Sharky gently on the lips. "Like a king. How about you, love?" He pulled on Sharky's bottom lip.
Sharky smiled back, feeling safe and protected in the man's arms. "Just great." He smiled into the kiss they shared. They lay there for a moment, enjoying the quiet intimacy of their space.
"As much as I would love to lounge around in bed for another day with you, I have got to go to this boxing session." Said Kenny.
Sharky sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "How come?" He knew Kenny had no upcoming fights and had been taking a break with training while the Beta Squad recording was also on break.
"Apparently, my trainer has got some special guest for a session. Also might be able to get a video out of it." Kenny stretched, revealing his chest. His arms reached above his head.
"Leaving me all alone?" Sharky pouted.
"You know, if you're feeling up for it, you could come with me. I'm sure they'd love to have you." Kenny offered, running his fingers through Sharky's hair. "You could film me while I train."
Sharky chuckled. "Oh, I don't know. I think they'd probably have me kicked out for yelling every time you get hit." He stood up and held out his hand to help Kenny up. "But I do love the thought. Maybe we could go out to dinner after?"
Kenny took Sharky's hand and pulled himself up to kneel on the bed. He smiled down at the beautiful man. "I think I could manage that."
"Good," he said, giving Kenny a quick kiss before moving back. "Now go get dressed."
Kenny groaned and stood up, stretching once more before making his way into the bathroom. Sharky busied himself with tidying the bed, folding the covers, and picking up a few scattered articles of clothing that had been left on the floor.
It was around half an hour later when the pair stood at the front door, saying their goodbyes. Sharky felt a warmth spread through his chest as he wrapped his arms around Kenny and kissed him softly. "I'll see you later, yeah?"
Kenny smiled into the kiss, his hand gently cupping the back of Sharky's head. "Mmhmm, can't wait."
Kenny shut the door, heading out to his car with the biggest smile on his face. He couldn't wait to see Sharky again and to tell him all about his day. He was especially excited for what he had planned that night.
As he drove to the gym, he thought about the perfect way to ask Sharky out. He wanted it to be special, something that would make him feel loved and appreciated. They had taken it slow, knowing the risks that came with a relationship in the influencer community.
As the door shut behind Kenny, Sharky turned around, still feeling a bit giddy from the kiss. He walked into the kitchen, seeing Aj and Chunkz sitting at the kitchen counter.
"Ew, what's that stuck on your face?" Chunkz looked up, asking with fake disgust.
Sharky's hand flew to his face. "What? What's wrong?"
"Your disgustingly joyful smile." Aj snorted, shaking his head. Sharky frowned and walked over to slap the two on the backs of their heads.
"What's up with you two? Can't a man be happy?" They both shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "I've got exciting plans tonight."
"Oh yeah? You got a date?" Chunkz teased, dragging out the last word. Sharky stuck his tongue out at him. "Maybe. It's...it's well... it's with Kenny." He looked down, scratching the back of his neck.
When there was no response, he looked up, surprised to see that Aj and Chunkz were only smiling and not at all shocked. "What?" he demanded, folding his arms across his chest.
"We're just glad for you, Sharky," Aj said with a small smile. "You deserve to be happy."
"Also, we kinda guessed you were dating already." Chunkz chimed in. Sharky felt his cheeks heat up a little. He shrugged, trying to play it cool.
"Well, we're technically not dating fully yet. Actually, I was thinking of asking him tonight." Sharky grinned, feeling a nervous flutter in his stomach. He was excited to make it official and to see where this thing between them could go.
Aj and Chunkz exchanged amused glances. "Well, good luck with that," Aj said with a laugh. "I'm sure he'll say yes."
"Thanks," Sharky replied, feeling a bit more confident. He started to pace back and forth in the kitchen, trying to calm his nerves. "I just want it to be special. I want him to know how much he means to me."
"You already do," Chunkz said with a smile. "He knows. Now stop being so soppy, man."
Sharky rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help feeling a little better. As the hours ticked by, he found himself checking his phone constantly, unable to focus on anything else. He was up in his room when his phone started ringing.
It was an unknown number that showed on the screen. He answered the call, bringing it to his ear. "Hello?" He asked.
There was a pause on the other end of the line before a voice came through the speaker. "Hey, Sharky. It's Kenny's boxing coach, Dayley."
Sharky felt a knot form in his stomach. "Is everything okay? Where is he?" He asked, panic beginning to set in.
"Don't stress, but he's at the hospital, mate. He had an accident during his boxing practice. It looks like he fractured his wrist pretty badly." Dayley explained. "I just wanted to let you know so you could come pick him up if you could. The doctor wants him to have someone with him when explaining the medication."
Sharky's heart sank. "Oh god, okay, tell him I'm on the way." He replied and hung up. Sharky quickly sped down the stairs, threw on some shoes, and grabbed his keys.
Sharky arrived at the hospital shortly after, and after speaking to reception, he found himself entering a room. Kenny was sitting on the bed, his wrist in a splint. He looked up as Sharky walked in, a small smile on his face. "Hey, Sharky. How's it going?" he asked, his voice laced with shame.
"Oh, Ken, what happened?" Sharky asked, taking a seat beside him. He took Kenny's good hand in his own, feeling the warmth and strength of it.
Kenny shrugged. Sharky assumed he must have been embarrassed about the situation. Sharky placed a kiss on the younger man's temple just before a nurse walked in.
"Ah, you must be the gentleman we were waiting for," the nurse said, flashing him a warm smile. "Kenny here has a distal radius fracture. We would usually recommend a cast; however, the patient refused, so we would like you to be weary of anything that can cause further injury." Sharky looked at Kenny disapprovingly.
"So basically, don't do anything stupid?" Sharky asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.
The nurse chuckled. "Exactly. And I'll give you some painkillers for him. You can give him two every four to six hours, as needed. The first lot of medication I want him to take for the first few hours is very strong and can cause drowsiness, confusion, disorientation, and absent-mindedness.
After that, he can switch to the second lot of medication, which is not as strong but still has the potential to cause drowsiness. I want you to make sure he doesn't operate any machinery or drive a vehicle while under the influence of these medications. Do you understand?"
Sharky nodded, still feeling a knot in his stomach. He squeezed Kenny's hand reassuringly. "Of course, I'll take care of him. How long do you think he'll be in the splint?"
The nurse checked Kenny's chart before responding. "We'll need to see how his wrist heals. Usually, it takes about four to six weeks, but it could be longer if there are any complications. In the meantime, I'd recommend keeping him off his dominant hand as much as possible to avoid further injury."
Sharky nodded, taking this in. "I'll make sure he rests it," he said. "Do you need me to sign anything?"
The nurse smiled and handed him a clipboard. "Just the consent form for the medication. I'll go over it with you and Kenny to make sure everything is clear." As they spoke, the nurse carefully explained the instructions for the painkillers and the other potential side effects. Sharky listened intently, making sure he understood everything. He knew Kenny wouldn't be taking any of this information in, so it was important he was doing it.
———————————————————————
Poor Kenny, we will get to see a little more to why he won't listen and is upset.
Also where about are you all from? I would love to know.
- B🎧