my best friend kenny

pairing: kenny omega x reader

plot: who do you run to when things look to go out of control? no one other than your best friend, kenny.

genre: angst + fluff (not my usual ~romantic~ fluff, but Actually Nice Guy Kenny at the end. the kind of guy ladies + fem!presenting people would love to be friends with)

warning: swearing, verbally and physically abusive boyfriend -> ex-boyfriend

word count: 6.3k

author's note: this is a lot different from other fics i've written but i still kinda like it?? i say kinda because my favorite fics are the real fluffy ones lol. regardless, i hope you guys enjoy, stay safe y'all <33

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a glance at the clock notified you that it was currently half past one in the morning now and even though your boyfriend was aware of your whereabouts tonight, you still figured that it was probably time to call it a day.

your boyfriend was... nice.. usually. maybe a bit too overprotective and possessive, but weren't all boyfriends like that?

actually, in the past, he's been borderline abusive towards you. he had too much of a temper and had anger issues you knew he should sort out one day. there were times where he called you horrible names and didn't let you hang out with your friends. whenever he did, he would always police your outfit, telling you what you should and should not wear. it was reminiscent of when you were a teenager asking your parents for permission to go to a house party for the first time. he wanted to know where you were going, who you were going with, what you planned on doing, if you were going somewhere else after that. he didn't ask you what time you would come back simply because he would be the one to dictate that for you, and if you came to the house later than what he said, he'd have an outburst. there was even a time in the past when your neighbors called the police, alerted by his shouting and the general ruckus in the house.

the moment you got sick of it and threatened to leave him, he said he would try to do better, really try. he said that he would check out some therapists who could help him deal with his anger so he wouldn't snap at you like he does, and one night, you did catch him browsing through therapy websites. seeing this, you put a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek as it seemed like he was actually serious when he said he wanted to change for the better.

you were hopeful about his desire towards changing his ways, and much to your delight, he didn't let you down! he has yet to attend a therapy session, yes, but he was much calmer now. instead of yelling whenever you guys have an arguement, he would step out of the room and take a few deep breaths in the hallway to compose himself, then he would enter the room again and have a civilized conversation with you.

the drywall - which was usually his personal punching bag whenever his mood got sour and as a result, had numerous patches of beige colored paint in varying shades due to him punching holes into it time and time again - has never looked better.

he once confided in you, telling you that the reason he would never let you out of the house to go see your friends was because he's jealous of them. he was especially envious of your best friend, kenny omega. he was scared of losing you to him because he "knew" that kenny was much better looking than him and had a hell of a lot more money -- you were shocked to hear that he thought you'd leave him for someone else because of money, of all things, but bit your tongue seeing as he was opening  up to you about his insecurities and it would be inappropriate. he also mentioned the way you look at kenny, saying that you glance at him like he's your world.

early on in your relationship, you'd hang out with both men. kenny being the amazing friend that he is wanted to meet the man you were dating to get a feel of his attitude, whether he thought he was trouble or actually good for you, and your boyfriend wanted to meet the great kenny omega as you have mentioned before that he was your best friend. they got along well enough. they weren't the best of friends, but they weren't at each other's throats either and that was all you could have asked for.

kenny third-wheeled with you two a few more times, until your boyfriend talked to you, stating he wasn't too fond of it and that you and kenny made him feel left out at times with your inside jokes. you felt horrible when he said that, you were aware of your close friendship with the wrestler and knew that you guys had a ton of inside jokes, but you didn't realize you were telling them to the point of hurting your boyfriend. feeling guilty, you accepted it, not wanting to cause your boyfriend any more pain. when you broke the news to kenny, he didn't seem upset. he didn't even seem too surprised. he just made you promise that you'd still hang out with him, not accompanied by your significant other and how could you refuse that?

after that, you reassured him that he's the only man in your life, kenny is no more than a friend to you and the same goes to everyone else in your close circle. he shouldn't view them as threats because they weren't. he was stressing himself out for nothing.

and that did the trick. he lets you out of the house now and doesn't treat you like some kind of object he has an ownership to. when he's sober, anyway. the person he becomes whenever he's had too much to drink was someone you weren't too fond of. he was vile, harsh, an asshole and an all-around douchebag. a control freak. he was the exact same person as your boyfriend was before he made the vow to become better and that was what planted some seeds of doubt in your head. if in the deepest pits of his being, he's still the same unhinged, controlling, narcissistic person, would you be safe with him? should you even trust him? did him being a decent boyfriend come with a price, that price being him only being decent to you when he's sober?

you worried about it often, sometimes losing sleep because you keep on overthinking it, but you forced yourself to push it into the back of your mind. you really didn't want to deal with it.

he usually doesn't drink very often, it was only in the past few weeks he has been throwing down beer bottle, after beer bottle, after beer bottle. at first, you figured it was stress from work and he would come back soon enough so you just endured the shoves and too-firm grips he gave you. besides, when he woke up in the morning and saw the bruises he's left on you, he looked and sounded guilty enough.

it didn't stop though, no matter how many times he has said that it would. it never did.

regardless, you figured he was nice when sober so you just sucked it up. he even let you out in an attention grabbing number he usually wouldn't let you wear tonight. there was some semblance of progress there. he didn't seem mad when you left either, in fact, he kissed your cheek tenderly and gave you a hug "be safe, have fun. i love you."

but then again, he was completely sober.

thank god for straight edge friends because they were the only reason you were sure to go home safe tonight. one of your friends who didn't drink took on the title of designated driver for that night, and was also the one to hold back hair if someone had to vomit in the bathroom of the bar you're currently at. you couldn't be more thankful for her. driving yourself home was an absolute no, taking an uber or a taxi, though a million times safer than the earlier option, was still a bit risky. it depended on the driver you were gonna get and when you're drunk, you'd rather not risk it. instead of doing either of those, you carpooled with your only sober friend as the driver.

you arrived at the house soon enough. you shut the door with a wide smile and a too-enthusiastic wave -- a result of your drunkenness, and saw your friends wave back at you. "drive safe, guys!"

nothing was out of the ordinary when you first walked in through the front door. it was locked, as it always is. you had to fish through your purse to get the key and unlock it. it was also quiet. while your boyfriend was an avid football fan and usually took up the space in front of the tv, screaming at it to score another touchdown! just one more! taking the fact that it currently very late into consideration, the silence was nothing but what you expected.

you turned the corner and met the sight of your boyfriend in the sofa, a glass of whiskey - at least that's what it looked like under the dim light - in his hand. the bottle, drank half empty was resting on the coffee table and served as some sort of warning sign to you.

great. he's drunk.

his feet were kicked up onto the table as well, still in his shiny, black leather dress shoes which he wore for work. a pretty regular nine-to-five, but he knows someone high in the hierarchy and he earns a hell of a lot more than the co-workers he has that are on the same position as him. he remained in his suit was well, well tailored to fit his body type. the first three buttons of his white button down were unbuttoned, his blazer was a tad bit wrinkled and was wide open, exposing the black tie, loose around his neck, as if he was trying to take it off, but wasn't able to because of his drunk state. then he just gave up on undoing the damn thing. both his arms rested on the armrests of the sofa, and if he wasn't currently drunk and staring daggers at you, you probably would have enjoyed and savored the view.

he stood up suddenly, bringing you out of your thoughts and sobering you. the glass has been disposed to the table with an unpleasant ding. unconsciously, you became more alert, your legs spread, shoulders width apart, and your hands balled up at your sides, ready to swing if needed.

another step and he took notice of it, stopping to laugh boisterously at you, so boisterous that he stumbled, accidentally taking a step across his other foot. despite the fact that his feet crossed and he almost tripped in front of you, he recovered rather quickly, acting like that did not just happen. "there's no need for that, my sugarplum fairy. well, unless you decide to be a disrespectful bitch that is." he shrugged. another step.

"where were you? do you know what time it is? do you know how worried i was? i was about to call the damn police!" his already gruff voice raised at the end, and his hand traveled upwards and tugged at the necktie again, yet his eyes continued to bore holes into you -- they strayed occasionally. because he was drunk, his eyes wandered to their own accord. the action has been executed in a way that looked like he was just trying to intimidate you. he wasn't actually trying to take the article of clothing off.

"i was at the bar with my friends. i told you about that before and you had no problem about it. i lost track of time, i guess. i'm sorry i made you worry, babe." a few words in, you realized that you probably said too much. he probably would not like that one bit, so you decided to throw in the apology and petname he was usually fond of in the hopes that it would lessen his anger.

"i don't remember allowing you to go to bars and having a bunch of drunk men grind on you." his glare intensified as he began to work his magic on you. that was something he was good at, especially whenever he's drunk -- twisting your words and making you seem like the bad person in the relationship.

you used to believe it, fall for his trap, hook, line, and sinker. so much so that one day, you came to kenny bawling your eyes out stressing because the man has wormed into your brain so deep that he made you think that you were actually a bad partner when he it was him all along.

at first, kenny tried to not be biased, tried to look at both sides of the story even though it set a bad feeling in his gut. you seemed to like your boyfriend a lot when you first introduced them to each other so he didn't want to shit on him. instead, he just assured you that you weren't a bad partner and maybe, your boyfriend was a bit too insecure. the way he said it indicated that it was no dig at your boyfriend, simply an explanation towards the way he acted and blew things way out of proportion. he suggested that you talk to him about it, maybe he needed to hear you say how much you loved him or something.

but then, it started to happen way too often, then the boyfriend said he was intimidated by kenny who liked to think of himself as non-intimidating. alarms began to whine in his head non stop to the point where he was actually losing sleep thinking about you -- whether you were safe, whether you were ever be safe with that man as your boyfriend.

he wanted you to come around, not only because he enjoyed your company, but also to warn you because the way your boyfriend would talk to you was definitely not normal boyfriend behavior.

he really had it bad for you.

eventually, he was able to tell you about it and he blew a sigh of relief when you didn't get angry at him for it and accused him of sabotaging your relationship. while he did have a huge crush on you - some may say he's even in love with you - he wouldn't ever do that. he loved you too much to ruin something that made you happy. he wasn't that selfish.

with this new information, you began to read through articles online and found that it was a common tactic done by toxic partners. why you didn't break up with your boyfriend right then and there, you will never know what was your brain said, but your heart wanted to believe that he was going to change his ways and become, not simply a decent boyfriend, but a good one at that.

you were pushed out of your train of thought when he cleared his throat. now he was nearer. way too near than what you were comfortable with. slowly but surely, you took a step back to put some space between you two. you hoped he didn't notice it because if he did, he would know that you're afraid and that would only feed his ego and strength.

"i didn't grind on anyone. i was with my friends the whole time. you can ask them if you don't want to take my word for it." you almost handed him your phone so you could have your friends prove your loyalty to him, if he wished to do so. that would be a very dangerous mistake, depending on how he would react to your next exchange and you're glad you were able to continuously clench your hands at your sides.

"they would lie for you, though." he tilted his head at you. "i may not have an idea on what the pythagoras theorem is, but i'm not that stupid."

you didn't know what to say after that, partially because you were terrified of how he would react. he was too close for comfort and you were not pushing your luck, especially because you knew he had enough bite to back up his bark. he could back up everything he said -- that was one of the reasons you fell in love with him back then. he wasn't afraid of confrontation either, he didn't care if it was of violent matter, or just verbal. you were backed up against the wall, both literally and figuratively.

he chuckled darkly once more, taking another step towards you. now, if he were to lean down to your level - currently, he towered over you. he was a very big man, standing at seven feet. that may be the reason why he wasn't intimidated by the concept of confrontation - then you would be face to face with him, be able to feel his breath, laced with the scent of alcohol and bitterness in your mouth and flooding your nostrils. he did exactly that, his shit-eating grin only widening when he saw you tremble in fear.

get out, get out, get out!

his hand landed on your wrist, significantly smaller than his and began to tug you further into the house. you didn't know what he planned to do to you and it you didn't plan on staying and having to find out what that was.

GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!

apparently, he underestimated you - he didn't know you very well if that was the case - because yanking your hand free came easier than you thought. and without thinking twice, you ran out of the house like a bat out of hell. you had no doubt he would chase you, but he was drunk and bigger than you while you had sobered up completely and would be able to weave around anything that crossed your path a lot faster than him.

you got a head start because he wasn't able to process what just happened quickly and after you got out of the front door, you whipped out your phone to call the person who you knew you could trust with your life, your best friend kenny who - thank god - picked up at the first ring.

"kenny, kenny, i need you."

your tone set him on edge. the fact that you were in danger was imminent in your voice so he didn't wait for you to say anything else before he raised from where he sat and dashed to get his car keys from a table in his bedroom without a second thought.

"where are you? what's happening?"

your sentence came out in pants and you prayed that he was able to understand the garbled words in spite of that. "it's my boyfriend, he's drunk and angry. he grabbed me and i ran from the house. i'm headed to the mall so there'll be a lot of people and places i can hide in. there are security guards there too. i think that's my best bet."

he was in his car already, zooming to where your house was because even though you're getting away from the place, you couldn't be too far from it. that was better than staying where he was.

"wouldn't the malls already be closed though?" he whacked his brain for any other ideas to help you. you were clearly in distress and he wouldn't blame you. he always had the gut feeling your boyfriend - well, hopefully ex boyfriend now - was a bastard. he just thought that it was the green-eyed monster and pushed the feeling down.

"not quite. you know that mall that serves really good churros? the one we went to when we celebrated your aew world heavyweight championship win? they don't completely close. most shops are closed, yeah, but there are still some that are open. the restrooms are still open too, i think. i can go hide there."

he nodded though he couldn't see him. it was instinct since he was so tense and scared for you.

"don't hang up, [y/n]. i need to know how you are, if he's catching up or something."

he heard some ruffling on your side of the line, but it wasn't rough enough for him to think bad thoughts. it was just you putting your phone back to your bag so you could put all concentration into running.

you didn't dare turn around. too risky. that had the possibility of slowing you down and that was bad news. you could also trip on something in front of you - would that sober him up and elicit empathy out of him? or bump into something. or maybe just maybe, he doesn't remember what you're wearing and wouldn't be able to pick you from a crowd from looking at your back. in that case, he would be familiarized with what you're wearing again and that was bad news too.

you didn't know if he was right behind you or not. didn't even know if he actually ran after you, but regardless, you couldn't help to let out a sigh of relief when you made it to the mall. you still didn't stop running, but now you got the phone to your ear again, wondering if kenny had something to say, or any sort of update about his whereabouts.

your timing couldn't be more perfect if you tried.

"i'm almost there, drove right past the mcdonalds you cross when you go there." said mcdonalds was approximately three blocks from where you were and you're so glad. you're tired, and scared, and hungry, and your feet just hurt. most of all, you needed the type of comfort no one else but kenny could give you. his hugs just hit different - a little tighter, a little warmed, a little more i love and cherish you sprinkled into it than your usual hug.

"okay, i'm at the mall now. you know this pretty well, right?"

his small yeah was music to your ears.

"i'm going to hide in the restrooms next to hot topic, okay? just text me when you're outside and i can come out."

adrenaline rush was a wonderful thing because until now, you're still able to run at maximum speed. despite that you can feel the siren song-like lull of tiredness creeping into you like a fog swallowing a mountain. at least you can hold it back for time being.

your elite knowledge of the layout of this particular mall came in handy as well as you were able to maneuver your body in the right direction without breaking a sweat.

from your hand, your phone kept on ding-ding-dinging. it has been like that for quite a long time yet you've never noticed it, your mind elsewhere more important, but now that you have, you made it a priority to check it -- you didn't get the opportunity to see what the fuss is all about before cause you just held it to your ear without looking at the screen.

upon gazing at the gadget, you've discovered that it's your ex-boyfriend texting you. you should have known. pushing the door to the restroom you told kenny you would be in and locking yourself into a stall - you put down the toilet seat lid and sat down on it with your legs to your chest just in case your ex comes inside and checks for feet via the gap on the bottom part of the stairs - you looked through the messages you've received throughout this whole mess.

30 minutes ago

"{from babe <3}: [y/n], come back here. now."

29 minutes ago

"{from babe <3}: [Y/N]"

"{from babe <3}: [Y/N]"

"{from babe <3}: if you don't get your ass back here in five minutes i swear to god."

24 minutes ago

"{from babe <3}: okay then, my little sugarplum fairy. have it your way. i love you."

chills went down your spine because you knew that was not the end of it. that was not as cute and innocent as it sounds.

20 minutes ago

"{from babe <3}: you know i'm not gonna stop trying to find you, and you know damn well i'm gonna find you. why don't you just go back home and make it easier on yourself."

18 minutes ago

"{from babe <3}: i hope you're aware you're making it harder for yourself."

"{from babe <3}: because i will find you eventually."

"{from babe <3}: so save yourself all this anxiety you're causing."

"{from babe <3}: you know i care about you."

12 minutes ago

"{from babe <3}: [y/n] i fucking swear to god."

"{from babe <3}: my patience is wearing thin."

5 minutes ago

"{from babe <3}: [y/n], you better pray i don't find you."

"{from babe <3}: you're not gonna like what happens when i do."

"{from babe <3}: to think this could have all been avoided if you just stopped being a pathetic bitch for once in your life."

you jumped when you got another notification. it almost made your heart jump out of your ribcage in all the wrong reasons, but thankfully, it was just your best friend.

"{from kenneth jerome}: i'm outside now. i haven't seen your boyfriend around since i've arrived."

you've never been more relieved in your entire life. still shaking and feeling nauseated, you got out of the bathroom.

you've heard enough true crime podcasts and news in general that you didn't open the door all the way without taking a small peek first -- there was the possibility of your ex stealing kenny's phone and using it to contact you. some - although not completely - tension eased out of your body when you were greeted by the familiar build of your best friend. those broad shoulders, and arms that stretched out the sleeve of the shirt he was wearing to those blue eyes and curly blond hair were definitely kenny's. no doubt about it.

he saw you quickly and he bounded to you quietly, not wanting the sound of his shoes tapping to be too loud and draw attention to your location.

he enveloped you to his chest and kissed your forehead. "oh my god, [y/n]. i'm so glad you're okay." he said, resting the side of his face on the top of your head.

he was two steps ahead of you. before you could tell him that it would be wiser to get all emotional when you were in a safer place, preferably his car or his house, he was already running, still with you tucked into his chest so you'd be hidden. the only difference was now, your back was to his chest so you didn't have to run backwards. "we have to get to the car now. i didn't see him during the drive here nor while i was going to the restrooms, but you never know."

how were you gonna tell him you'd been thinking exactly that and he just said it first?

kenny was a lot faster than you at running to say the least and there were times when he accidentally bumped his shoes against yours with made you stumble. after a few times of this happening, it was like he started to run slower, displaying patience for you. that or you're speeding up. you weren't quite sure which one.

however, somewhere along the way, you both heard a familiar voice yell your name, followed by of course you're with him. i thought it was just me and i didn't have to worry about him? lying bitch!

you bit your tongue before any snarky remarks came off of your lips because of course you're with kenny now. you weren't safe with him. your best friend was simply trying to protect you, as best friends do. and there was no competition, there never was. the sole reason for kenny being there at that moment was all brought about by him. your ex-boyfriend only has himself to blame, and he only has himself to thank. you wanted to throw those at him, even though they're pretty much common sense to anyone sober enough but decided against it. it would just rile him up more and that is not what you needed right now.

kenny looked behind him - you sensed that because of the flash of curly blond locks obscuring your vision for a very short while when he turned his head - and picked you up by the waist. your feet were no longer on the floor and at that, kenny ran faster. he turned you in his arms since he found that position easier to carry you in and there was really no longer a point in hiding you. your ex already knew you were alongside him.

your head was on kenny's shoulder, your cheek resting against it. you wished you didn't open your eyes because he was right there, enraged and dead set on taking you back to the house with him.

you were going to squeak out something to kenny concerning the proximity of your ex, but he seemed to be well-aware of it. "i know, i know. we're close to the parking lot, don't you worry. i'm not gonna let anything happen to you. trust me." he mumbled.

as he said that, you were outside. the cool breeze unexpectedly stinging your face making you shiver. you yelped when your ex reached for you as you crossed the doors. the long reach of his hairy arms let his fingers brush against yours, but kenny took a sharp turn, making your ex stumble down to his knees.

a few more of kenny's large lopes, you've arrived at his car and you were being thrown into the passenger seat. you put the seat belt around you in a rush after he was seated at the driver's seat, however he didn't buckle up his just yet.

you sped out of the parking garage, leaving tire marks in your wake. kenny rarely sped. he doesn't even remember the last time he did it, but this was the latest. from the rearview mirror, you could see that your ex was still trying desperately to catch up, but that was practically impossible. he didn't have a car, you were speeding, and he was exhausted.

that was the time kenny slowed down a bit - you were still speeding, but it wasn't noticable to the naked eye anymore - and clasped the seat belt across him.

he let out a big sigh, running a hard through his hair and looking to his side, right at you.

"you okay- i-i mean clearly you're not but.. do you feel nauseous? need a paper bag? need to rant?"

your face was buried in your hands, bag been tossed to the floor as you let out a shaky breath. "i'm fine, now that i've gotten away. i think.. i don't think i should talk right now. too shaken up, need to calm down."

kenny guessed as much. you were literally shaking in your seat, your teeth chattering both because of the fright and the cold air. he didn't know if turning on the heater would help, but he did it anyway. anything to help you. you had just gone through hell, and kenny was almost sure that was not the first time. that kinda broke his heart a little bit. you absolutely did not deserve that. nobody does.

after some moments of silence - you were now obeying traffic laws. kenny assumed that it's safe now and if not, he was with you so you're as safe as one can be - you spoke up. "thank you, kenny."

the man began to shake his head wildly. "you don't have to thank me, [y/n]. it's common decency for me to come."

"you didn't have to though. but you did. so thank you."

he glanced at you again for a small moment, averting your eyes to stare down the dark road facing you, only illuminated by the dull yellow-orange glow provided by the street lamps. "what kind of friend would i be if i didn't come? how could i look at myself in the mirror if i let your boyfriend..." he trailed off and you took that as your opportunity to correct him. "ex. ex-boyfriend. no way i'm staying with him after that."

kenny smiled, completely unable to hinder the content sound that got out of his throat. to him, that was a bit insensitive of him to do. to feel happy when you've just gone through something traumatic, yet he really couldn't help it. besides, the primary driver of that is not his non-platonic feelings for you. it's because of how proud he is of you for being able to leave a toxic relationship like that because he knew it wasn't a walk in the park. those types of men knew how to prey on their partner and to worm themselves into their partner's heart though they were vile and he's glad you're able to get out of it before it was too late.

a part of him wished he could have warned you better months ago, during the days when your ex only shown minor red flags, but he tried his best not to dwell on it. he failed in that department. he's determined not to let it happen again -- to any of his friends. all he has at this moment that is important is not those unpleasant memories, rather the here and now. he wants to focus on the things you may need or adjustments you'll need to implement and how he can help, not how he could have helped twelve months ago, the things he could have, should have, would have done better. that was over, regretting it and hating himself for not speaking a peep would not do both of you any good.

the drive back to his house was quiet. neither of you saying anything. and when you've arrived, he was the first one to speak.

he cleared his throat. "i'm really proud of you, you know? know that couldn't be a piece of cake. don't exactly know how hard it is, but i'm here for you, [y/n.]" he smiled down at you softly, opening his arms out for a hug, but not trapping you in them in case you weren't comfortable with it granted the things that took place moments ago.

you ran a hand through your hair, chuckling lightly. he didn't like how it sounded. not really. too high, sounded like you were on edge and still scared because of that bastard.

when i get my hands on him.

"i know kenny. thank you."

you didn't accept his invitation for a hug, opting to sit down on the gray loveseat in his living room. your head hadn't stopped spinning since you got to the car and you've put an elbow on the armrest, and your head in your hand.

from a few feet in front of you, kenny sat on the floor -- far enough so his strong presence wouldn't make you uncomfortable, but near enough for you to be able to hear him even as he spoke in his softest voice, careful not to startle you.

"you'll get through this, [y/n]. i believe in you. you got this... i'm not saying this to flatter you or something.. i'm saying it because it's true.. you're probably one of the strongest people i've ever met, and that.. maybe the reason i fell in love with you in the first plac-" oops. he definitely didn't mean to let that slip out. he recovered, not acknowledging what he just said. he hoped to anyone listening up in the heavens that you didn't hear. not only did he not want his feelings for you to be known, but this was also not the time.

absolutely not.

"but i hope you do know you don't have to do this alone. you've strong, yeah, but i know first hand how hard it is to be strong all the time. you're allowed to be.. not strong as much as you want. you got me in your corner. always. forever."

however, your mind hasn't been able to focus on anything after he confessed his feelings for you. if your mind was spinning like an out-of-control carousel before, well now that out-of-control carousel has been thrown into a tornado. "wha-what did you say?"

"i'm in your corner. weird analogy?"

"no, no. before that." you slowly lifted your head from your hand. if you didn't do it with the utmost care, you might have ended up vomiting all over the place. your mind was everywhere.

"listen, [y/n], we don't have to focus on that, okay? we should focus on you."

you were about to protest when he interrupted you. "we can talk about my feelings for you when you're better, okay? i'm not taking advantage of you."

"but-"

"[y/n]." he said firmly. "what would you think if i did this to somebody else. if they've just gotten out of a toxic relationship and i immediately tried to make my move on them? i know talking isn't making a move, but you're not in the right mindset for it. soon, okay?"

you hummed in response, realizing he's right. nevertheless, you thanked your lucky stars you got such a nice best friend, one that stuck with you because he genuinely cared for you and not because he wanted to get into your pants. those were rare and you deeply appreciated kenny.

"okay, now is there anything i can do to help you calm down? tea? your favorite snack? you know i always have them on tap for you."