Kit snorted. “Okay. It’s you.” He pulled on the chains, the warm metal sliding off Quin’s wrists and leaving his arms weightless. When Quin moved them back to their usual position, he let out a groan.
Kit jumped at the sudden noise like a startled cat.
“Hey, hey, you’re okay,” Quin said, one hand moving to soothe over Kit’s back. Once his hand was in sight, however, he noticed the cuts and bruising on his knuckles.
“You—um, he—punched the wall,” Kit said. “And then your face. I cleaned you up, but you might need to go to the hospital. You also hit your head, but it didn’t split. I checked.”
“Shit,” Quin said, prodding at a finger that looked a little bent out of shape. He doubted it was broken, but he was no doctor.
“Daddy, don’t make it worse.”
The relief that filled Quin at Kit calling him that was palpable. Pressure unwound in his chest, and even though his whole body ached, he pulled Kit in close. Kit was stiff in his arms at first, but after a few moments, he relaxed into Quin’s hold.
Quin sat up with a start, jostling Kit. “Mabel?” he asked.
“He shut her in the utility room. I checked on her and gave her some food and attention—she’s fine. I kept her downstairs just in case.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course. I think she’s unsure of things, but she settled well enough in her bed.”
The helplessness Quin had experienced returned tenfold. Alternative outcomes of the night played out in his mind, ones where not all of them survived, and each more terrible than the last.
“Do you want to go see her?” Kit asked.
Quin scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’ll go to her once you’re asleep. It’s close to morning, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Not long.”
Quin looked down at where Kit sat in his lap, holding onto him. “Do you feel safe enough to sleep here?” He hated having to ask but needed to be sure.
Kit searched his eyes before nodding. “I do. He’s gone.”
The unspokenfor nowrang in Quin’s ears, but Kit didn’t say it. He didn’t need to, not when they both knew that it wouldn’t be as easy as that.
Quin lay back down, bringing Kit with him. He rubbed his hand over Kit’s back, careful to keep his sore finger out of the way. The sun would be up soon, and Quin had to tell Kit something whilst he had the chance.
He put his lips close to Kit’s ear, heart thrumming in his chest as he formulated the words he needed to say. It didn’tmatter if Kit didn’t return the sentiment, but given Quin had no idea what might happen the next time he looked in the mirror, it needed to be spoken out loud. “You should know that I love you.”
“What?” Kit squeaked, lifting his head.
“I’m in love with you.”
“How?”
Quin hadn’t been expecting an inquest, so it took him a second to gather his thoughts. When he did, it came out in a tumble of words. “Because you’re amazing, Kit. Beyond resilient. You’ve gone through so much, and you’re still the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
Kit’s eyes had never looked bigger as he stared open-mouthed at Quin.
“No pressure to say it back, either,” Quin said. “I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with you since I first caught your scent, so I don’t expect you to be there yet.” He’d wait for Kit as long as he needed to.
“Nobody—” Kit broke off as his voice hitched, and Quin gave him time to collect himself. Eventually, Kit spoke again. “Nobody has ever told me before that they loved me.” His words were a whisper, but each one pierced Quin’s heart.
“You are so,soloved, Kit. You deserve it.”
“Do I?”
“You do. But even if you didn’t, I’d love you, anyway.”
