Discharged from the hospital

Lucy has been visiting Kaiden every day after work. He doesn't know why or how but the Beta woman seems to have taken it upon herself to act as the Omega's big sister.

Not that Kaiden's complaining, he enjoys her company and her funny stories about the assholes at work. Lucy appears cool and composed but she has a lot of complaints about the incompetence of the people around her.

He also enjoys the various 'get well soon' gifts she brings along that come in the forms of flowers, balloons, tonics, fresh fruits, and healthy snacks. This might be the first time in his life that he has eaten so many apples in a week.

Grandpa Rei visits him as well, although not as often as Lucy does. They have tea together and play chess. Sometimes, Kaiden even wins. He relishes those victories, especially since Grandpa Rei is ruthless in defeating him.

Everything is as peaceful as before, except when Grandpa Rei simultaneously cried and scolded him the first time he visited. Kaiden still feels guilty upon remembering the old man's red-rimmed eyes.

Surprisingly, Rosa visits him sometimes. Even more surprising is when she arrives together with Lucy. They say that they met at the entrance, but Kaiden can see the way their eyes linger on one another. Of course, he doesn't say a word. He lets them dance around each other since it's more fun to watch that way, guessing that it won't take half a year before they officially become a couple.

When Kaiden begs with teary eyes not to let Uriel or his Aunt Jean know of his hospitalization, Lucy has no choice but to agree. How can she not when Kaiden is just starting to look better? If keeping this a secret will make him recover faster, then so be it.

He spends his stay at the hospital like that, and with all these people caring for him, Kaiden isn't lonely. Still, he can't help being sad for that one person he yearns to see has yet to visit.

"Does Damon know?" he asks Lucy one afternoon.

Her hands stop at the question, apple in the air. Lowering the knife to the tray, she answers, "Yes, he was here on the first day you were admitted. You were still asleep then."

"I see," is all he says.

They return to their prior activities, Lucy with the apple and Kaiden with his phone.

However, it isn't long before he asks again, "Did you tell him how you found me?"

This time, Lucy doesn't even pause. "No." Her answer is firm and resounding.

"Why?" There's a sadness in his voice that he chooses to ignore.

The strip she's peeling from the apple doesn't break despite Lucy answering, "He didn't ask."

Kaiden immediately understands. Damon didn't ask because he doesn't care. Even though Kaiden was found unconscious in his closet, Damon doesn't bother to know how or why it happened.

It's fine, Kaiden tells himself as he lets the silence drape over them. Disappointment isn't simmering inside him.

He's not going to think about Damon.

He's going to get better and live a good life. He will.

That is, as long as the ache in his heart disappears.

--

Kaiden doesn't return to the Lin Manor. He doesn't even take one step in after he's discharged. His bags are packed and his nest is disassembled by the time the doctor gives him the clear to leave.

The lawyer is also there, along with Lucy, to explain the changes in the contract. A lot of it remains the same, such as the non-disclosure agreement and the mandated pheromone sharing, but he is given more freedom now. For starters, he can look for another job if he wishes, and he doesn't have to reside with Damon anymore.

Because of this revised agreement, new accommodation is prepared for him. In the nicer part of the city, he is given an apartment unit under his name. They say it's additional compensation, but to Kaiden, it feels like he has been kicked out.

Still, he's grateful that at least he doesn't have to go back to his dingy apartment before, and that he can call his Aunt Jean anytime he wants.

There's a lot to be grateful about, he tells himself as Lucy drives him to his new place. He just needs to focus on the good things now.

"I hope you like the place," Lucy says when they stop at a red light, "I personally chose it for you."

Her words catch his attention, his breath hitching at his throat as he says, "You didn't have to do that."

"I don't," Lucy agrees, mouth pulled at a playful smirk, "but I did because I want you to be safe. I also made sure your place is within walking distance to a convenience store, a grocery store, a clinic, a milk-tea shop, and one of those unlimited grilled pork restaurants."

"Thank you," he says with difficulty, the words coming out with tears. Is this what relying on an older sister feels like? He feels warm—like he's being protected.

Lucy doesn't look at him, the light turning green. "What are you thanking me for? I didn't pay for it."

It takes a moment for the meaning to fully register in his brain. When it does, Kaiden laughs, light yet full, and Lucy laughs along with him. Lucy may seem like a stickler for rules but judging by the insinuation, it seems that she went way over the budget when choosing his new place. By over the budget, that means an additional zero or two at the end of the price tag.

He's clutching at the seatbelt to stop himself from wheezing by the time Lucy says, "You're too nice, Kaiden. You should learn to take advantage of the opportunities given to you."

"Don't I have you for that?" He slips, letting Lucy know how much he's come to depend on her this past week.

To his surprise, Lucy takes it with a stride, even sporting a cocky grin when she says, "You're right. Let's wring those bastards dry."

Kaiden should not be this amused at hearing the Beta curse, but the dissonance between her professional outfit and her sailor's mouth makes it funny every time.

However, it doesn't stop there. Lucy adds, "You should've asked for a car, an imported one. You deserve at least that much."

"It's okay," he says, "I can't drive anyway."

"I'll teach you," she says without missing a beat.

Kaiden considers for a moment, but only for a moment, before he asks, "Do you even have the time?"

"Damn," she curses again, "You're right, I don't."

Knowing that this is the perfect opportunity, he teases her, "But you have the time to date?"

Lucy's grin returns to a poker face, well-practiced and calculated. Her tone is flat when she says, "I don't know what you're talking about."

But of course, how can Kaiden let her go that easily?

He pulls out his phone and pretends to type, all the while saying, "Really? Guess I'll tell Rosa you're busy then, she asked about you."

"You brat!" Thank goodness for Lucy's impeccable control, or else they would have swerved on to the next lane from the shock she receives.

"I'm kidding," he quickly says before Lucy can scold him further. "I support your love life all the way!"

She says nothing save for a soft chuckle, eyes on the road with one hand on the steering wheel. Her whole body language is relaxed, quite unlike the prim and proper image of the Head Secretary of the Lin Finance Group.

If someone told Kaiden months before that he'll be this close to Lucy, even knowing what her real personality is like, he would have thought he was being pranked. Alas, the unexpected also brings something pleasant.

Kaiden prays for only good things to come his way from now on.