Can't Stop Thinking About You (Alstery)- Completed

14

"Come i-in."

Rex stepped aside to let Kao into his house. His eyes were red and puffy as if he had been crying for hours. Kao frowned, immediately drawing him into a hug.

"I know how you feel," he whispered.

Rex didn't hug back; he was too exhausted to care.

"No, you don't."

Rex tried to push Kao away from him, but he was too weak. Kao just hugged him tighter, not wanting to let go. After a minute, Rex gave in and threw his arms around the other, sobbing quietly into Kao's shoulder.

"There, there. Everything is going to be alright," he soothed, rubbing Rex's back gently.

Rex slowly let a smile creep onto his face. Kao always knew how to cheer him up, and he was thankful for that.

"I know how you feel because..." Kao mumbled, "I had... feelings for... Alfred."

"Oh, I-I didn't know y-you had feelings for Alfred. I'm s-sorry to h-hear that," Rex said softly.

"It's fine, I got over him... I just need to accept that Alfred won't ever love me. You should do the same with Mystery since there would be no point in pining over him now. If you care about him, you should be happy that he's happy... even if it's with someone else."

Rex looked down with a sad expression; he didn't think that was very fair. But he didn't have a choice.

"You're right," he sighed.

Kao smiled. Rex started blushing, finally noticing how long they had been hugging. Part of him didn't want it to end, feeling disappointed when Kao let him go. He didn't understand why his emotions were acting this way.

"Why did you s-stop?"

Kao flushed red all of a sudden, realizing something that he should have a long time ago. He enjoyed being with Rex. More than he enjoyed being with Alfred, anyway. Rex was always so outgoing and cheerful, just like him. Alfred was so serious and much too selfish at times. But not Rex. Rex was different.

"What do you mean?"

Rex pouted and pulled Kao back into a hug.

"I don't want you to stop hugging m-me."

Kao's face turned an even deeper shade of scarlet.

"Fine J-Just a bit more," he agreed.

They stood embracing each other for a while, Rex wagging his three tails like a puppy. At that moment they started to feel something for each other, something they hadn't noticed before.

Love.

-

It was the next day when Kao drove to the hospital to visit. He sat in the waiting room, clutching a note that read "Get well soon" in Yuki's handwriting. After half an hour, the nurse called his name. He walked into Alfred and Mystery's room, confused to see that Mystery was nowhere in sight, just an empty bed where he should have been.

"Hey Alfred," Kao greeted.

Alfred wagged his tail, Kao could only imagine how lonely he must have been all alone.

"Thank god you're here."

"Where's Mystery?" Kao asked.

"In another room. He was being a little feisty when the surgeons asked him to take his collar off. One of them tried to remove it, which was a mistake. He attacked them, but I think they're alright. The doctors put him in another room to... calm down I guess? He can be so childish sometimes," Alfred explained, rolling his eyes.