Kai froze, and all blood drained from his face. He looked up to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, but to his regret, he was perfectly in the right state. Feeling overwhelmed and sick, he fought the need to get up and run out of the building far away from the uncomfortable situation he found himself in at the very moment.

Kai reminded silent while Nolan chatted with Lily and Rayan. The man next to him calmly sipping his wine. His button-up looked tight on his muscled arms, about to rip apart if he would move forcefully. His sharp jaw, dark eyes and falling on his forehead, black locks matched his intimidating build. They sat close to each other and interacted more intimate than friends would do. Kai wondered if that's his new boyfriend.

"You never mentioned he was into that type," Leo whispered and placed his palm on Kai's knee, squeezing it gently.

Kai chuckled, startled from the sudden presence at his side. "Are you okay? Do you wanna leave?" He added.

"I'm fine. We can stay a bit longer," Kai reassured Leo, who looked at him concerned.

Leo pulled back his hand from under the table as the waitress came with the plates and served them dinner. Kai shivered at the instant loss of contact. He focused his gaze on the man on his right side, who was eating peacefully. Strangely and to his surprise, Kai felt calm and safe. The nervousness and anxiety still wandered around in his mind, never leaving him but was easy to ignore, and each time when he felt overwhelmed, he moved his attention to Leo, successfully distracting himself with his partner's presence.

Kai looked back at Nolan, and he didn't feel threatened anymore. The panic and uneasiness disappeared when Leo touched his thigh, sending a reminder of why he came here in the first place. He wasn't alone.

After the dinner, all tables seemed to turn into one. People were walking around chatting with each other about past times. Kai learned the life history of people he had met for the first time, despite being his relatives. Usually, he avoided direct contact with his further family. When he was a little kid and later growing up teenager, they made remarks about his flaws. They felt entitled to do so without considering the impact it left on him.

"How was it? Your grandma seems really nice." Leo asked when Kai came back from promised dance with his grandmother.

"She is okay. Sometimes she can be passive-aggressive, but I rarely see her, so there is no reason for her to be like that to me."

"That's good." Leo nod. "Your sister was looking for you. She shouldn't be far."

"Oh... Let's Find her then," Kai turned and backed away immediately when he stood face to face with surprised Elaine. She seemed shocked for a moment as they almost fell on each other her expression immediately shifted into an irritated one when she realised who that was.

"You came." Elaine voiced flatly. "I didn't expect that you would."

"Lovely surprise, isn't it? I wouldn't dare to miss it," Kai said, mirroring the tone and his lips wore a fake smile. There was only a tiny chance that he would succeed in avoiding at least one of them during the ceremony and party. 

"You can leave if you don't want to be here." She said coldly. "No one is forcing you to stay, Kai." 

Leo frowned but didn't interfere. He stood closer to Kai, offering silent support.

"Actually, I had fun until now." He wore an unreadable expression on his face, staying composed and keeping a hold on his anxiety. If he could let himself break or run from Elaine, the shame would eat him alive, and he couldn't let Leo see his miserable defeat. 

"Interesting. Nolan told me something opposite about you before. It seems he was wrong." Kai felt stung in his chest when she mentioned him. Satisfaction and her smirk told them that she knew what she was doing while bringing up his ex. 

"It doesn't matter what Nolan told you, and there is no point in talking about him. You should find your beloved husband." Kai forced himself to make the most friendly and bright smile before continuing. "I wish you a lot of happiness, by the way. Sadly we couldn't make it for the wishes after the ceremony."

Leo looked at him, and he felt a burning gaze ripping the side of his head. Kai knew he hit low, but for once, he felt like he had the upper hand in the argument between the two of them.

"Don't worry about my marriage. We are happy, and we would be for a long time." She said, fake smiling and staring at him with a knowing look. She was rude, but she wasn't stupid. She knew what people were talking about behind her back and to what Kai was referring. "I would suggest you look into your own love life, or you will age alone." Then she glanced at Leo. "Have fun." She walked away, not leaving a window for Kai to say anything.

"I can accidentally spill my wine on her dress." Smiling, Leo pulled Kai with him to the patio outside.

"Better not. I don't need any drama with my mother on top of that," Kai warned him.

"It's pretty late. Do you wanna head back?" Leo moved forward to have a better look at Kai's face. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't say anything to her. I didn't want to create any trouble for you."

"No, don't be. I should stand up for myself, but it's always like that. Elaine will ignore whatever I say and come back with something she knows will hurt me." he let go of a deep breath, losing some tension from his body. "I'm pathetic. I'm sorry you have to witness all of this."

"Don't say that. Nothing of this is your fault, and I don't care about any of these people. I only care about you." Leo pulled Kai by his shoulders to force him to look him in the eyes. "If being here upsets you, do you want to leave?"

"Yeah, I think so." He looked down. His lips, forming a barely visible smile. "Thank you. Let's find my sister, and we can go."

They stayed a couple of minutes longer, letting Kai calm down in silence. When they walked back, the room seemed stuffed, chaotic and too hot compare to the cold air outside. 

Kai felt a pull on his arm, forcing him to stop. He looked at the hand and then up at the person who held his arm.

"How are you? Having fun?" Nolan smiled nonchalantly, stepping closer to Kai's personal space.

"Sorry, but we are in a rush," Leo interrupted as he walked in between the two, pushing Nolan away. Leo grabbed Kai by his arm, forcing him to leave Nolan and follow him into the crowd. 

Peeking over his shoulder, Kai noticed Nolan getting scolded by his partner. It was weird to see him moping and trying to comfort someone. What he felt could be considered jealousy, as he never got such genuine treatment as that man. Maybe a sadness that he never knew he could get more or deserved more and let himself be treated that cheap.

"Hi sis, we are leaving now. Do you wanna stay, or are you going with us?" Aida looked up, and as she registered his words, she stood up while taking her bag, quickly finishing her drink.

"I'm going. Mark left a while ago with his girlfriend, and I was dead bored. I tried to find you earlier." She told them while hiding her phone in a purse she had with her.

"I know, Leo told me, ready to go?" Kai asked, and she nodded. They grabbed coats and walked out to find the car in a fully stuffed parking in the back of the building.

It was nearly midnight and was freezing. The frozen air was floating in front of the faces as they breathed. The engine didn't start until the second attempt, which worried Leo that the next day the car would be dead and both couldn't leave.

As they arrived in the house, Rose left straight to her bedroom, ready to bed. Kai noticed that she wasn't in her best mood and wondered if something happened. Everyone else from the household was still at the party, and the home was quiet. 

Bags were filling up the corners in the living room. Clothes scattered on the sofa and table full of cosmetic bags and empty mugs- reminding them that probably they will get woken up somewhere at night when everyone will be back from the party.

When they entered a tiny guest bedroom, Kai took his joggers and went to the bathroom, forcefully taking off his suit. He was angry and disappointed in himself. All it took one minute with Elaine to remind him of the insecurities Kai tried to leave behind. 

He had noticed the worried looks Leo gave him on the way home. That only made him feel more guilty as Kai hoped to have a good evening where Leo could rest from the endless study. When he left the bathroom, he noticed Leo already showered in the main bathroom by his parent's room. Leo was quicker than Kai and already laid comfortably under the covers on the bed. Kai followed after him, turning off the lights before he climbed on the bed.

Lying in the silence, Kai knew that sleep wouldn't come anytime soon. He turned to the side, looking at Leo.

"Are you asleep?" Kai whispered to make sure he won't wake him up if he indeed was. "Not yet," Leo answered, keeping his eyes closed.

"Thank you for today. I wouldn't be able to do it without you."

Leo opened his eyes, turning around to face Kai. It was dark, but the moonlight shining through the window illuminated their faces. 

"I know I shouldn't get into conversation with her. I ruined the mood, and we had to leave. I'm sorry about that." Kai continued with an apologetic tone. "I hope you had at least some fun, though."

"I had fun, and I'm sorry you are feeling bad about the argument." He smiled, and Kai chuckled silently. "I haven't seen your parents all evening."

"Mhmm, they were with my other family. My father is rather passive, doesn't care about us that much. I've seen him with my uncles all evening." Kai paused and looked down at the duvet, avoiding Leo's stare. "I feel like they had us because they felt like they should, you know... pressure from society and all that. I heard my mother talking once with my auntie." Kai smiled sadly to himself. 

"I'm sorry, it must have been lonely to have parents, but at the same time, not to have them." Leo caressed his cheek lightly.

"I'm glad that twins have each other like I had Noah all those years. It can't replace your parents, but it's a bit easier."

"I'm glad you had him, but now you also have me. You don't have to feel lonely anymore." Leo pulled Kai in a hug. Kai tensed, and panic showed on his face. He remembered how Leo supported him all evening without saying a word, distracted him when he felt anxious. He relaxed, knowing that this is the last person who he should be afraid of to hurt him. Slowly they drifted to sleep curled up against each other.