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saccharinecoffee · 11 months ago

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Red carnations on a knife's edge | Kenuri

Pairing ◈ Kenny Ackerman & Uri Reiss

Word count ◈ 7,487

Info & Warnings ◈ Smut, assassination attempt and threats, royalty AU, king!Uri, knight!Kenny, sickly Uri, gnc Uri

Author's notes ◈ This was written for @ackerbondweek 2023 - Day 2 "Liege/Protector".

Read on AO3

Kenny struggles to parse through his insecurities, his loyalty, and his feelings, and ultimately lashes out. Uri is smart, though, and sees right through his beloved knight's inner turmoil.

Kenny Ackerman's shadow followed the King wherever he walked. Donning leather and cotton instead of an intricately decorated metal armour, he stood out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of Uri’s Kingsguard.

The Rogue, they called him in hushed whispers throughout the palace. The Ripper who once terrorised aristocrats in their neighbourhoods, mugging and killing and stripping their fine clothes for a quick buck in the underground. Renowned for his stealth and strength, courtesy of his upbringing and Ackerman genes, he was ruthlessly efficient at disarming whomever came too close to harming the King; a fact Uri dwelled on perhaps too whimsically in the dark of night to be appropriate.

But there was nothing truly appropriate in the way Kenny operated, from his rugged appearance to his severe attitude and rude speech. But Uri himself wasn’t the typical royal, either.

Perhaps, that was what drew the two of them to each other.

They paced and paced down a long hallway, Kenny’s presence staunchly at his side, lagging behind just a fraction to make sure his back wasn’t unprotected. It made a pleasant tingle blossom in Uri’s belly. He grasped his long skirts tighter as the fabric draped at his heels and trailed the ground he walked on. His nape grew colder as his hood remained down and over his shoulders, the ends of his overgrown silver hair tickling his skin as the night drew closer. His head, luckily, was light as could be. Crowns were never appealing to him, and neither were the extravagant embroideries his sisters and brothers wore in velvet and cashmere and expensive furs. A true traitor to his family and status, he was loyal to his ideals.

It must have been close to supper when the last of the populace had finished their inquiries in the throne room and the afternoon had dragged on due to his own insistence in offering them his support. Rod had left him a difficult job when he died, one full of hunger and despair and an uncooperative team of advisers who wanted nothing more than to pursue glory over the comfort and safety of their people.

This naturally meant they resented Uri, and deeply so.

Once in their conference room, they sat at a long, intricate wood table. Uri sat at the very end of it, nearest the door, while his resigned entourage sat across its length, paperwork before them as they prepared for yet another meeting. One that would be entirely unproductive, Uri pessimistically suspected. He usually had unwavering faith in the people around him – which was the reason why Kenny was now his knight and not another number in his castle’s dungeons – but after a couple of years of trying, it was beginning to fizzle into something weak. It was a faith born from both his own gentle soul and years of his brothers and sisters passing down their family’s ideology, even if some, like Rod, had never adhered to them. Irrespective of all of Uri’s efforts amongst his royal advisers, it ultimately led to nothing.

Kenny was a silent strength at his side as the meeting went on, their discussions going down a heated and vile path. They chattered and chattered amongst themselves as though Uri wasn’t even there, speaking ill and ugly things about the people he cared so dearly for and made his stomach churn and skin prickle with growing dread. He considered himself a patient man. He’d been trained for situations such as that. Peace, order and understanding were fundamental at all costs in a King’s rule. But that didn’t mean his heart wasn’t pumping harder, or that his hands didn’t shake.

“Everyone,” he said into the busy room. He tried to keep his voice levelled, but despite his anxiety, the words came out sharp and solid like a knife’s blade. It sliced through the chatter and quieted his court at a moment’s notice. Beside him, he felt Kenny stand straighter.

“If you have a problem with how I run this Kingdom, speak now, or leave at once. Make it swift and resolute, as we have many other more pressing subjects left to take care of before we adjourn for the evening.”

The room looked at him with tense, sheepish faces, some more pinched or bordering on aggravated than others, but Uri stood his ground. He never enjoyed conflict, and he certainly didn’t enjoy removing people from their assigned positions when they had blameless families to feed. But as he slowly came to understand, it was a necessary evil he ought to adopt.

“Silence? Really?” He stood up, staring down every one of his advisors with piercing violet eyes. “If I’m not mistaken, not two minutes prior you were speaking ill of our new allies. I thought I made myself clear when we would not highlight our differences, but instead our strengths. What makes you think it’s appropriate to speak disparagingly about the Ackerman Clan in the presence of a member?”

Suddenly, one of his men stood up, so fast his chair fell over. His fist collided with the table with a loud smack and his voice cracked as he yelled.

“They’re animals, Your Grace! They’re filthy, greedy animals and you let them roam free!! You must open your eyes and cease this madness!”

Kenny took a step forward, hand defensively over his sword. Uri pulled his arm out to stop him. When his palm touched his chest, he balled a fist into his cloak.

“You will not speak that way about Kenny Ackerman!” He said firmly. “As I said, you’re invited to leave if you disapprove of how I do things around here. I’m sure many others would be happy to fill in this role in your permanent absence!”

The councilman threw his paperwork across the table, blending with his colleagues’ own work and making a right mess of things.

“You need to wake up! You aren’t honouring your dear brother’s crown! You dress like the princesses’ maids and hand out our well-earnt money to the parasites and criminals of this Kingdom! What kind of King does that?!”

“The way we see it,” another one of his advisors said gravely, as he stood up, “you’re simply not fit to run our kingdom.”

A third stood up in a flash with a roar, unsheathing his dagger and leaping over the table to attack Uri. He wasn’t the only one, as several others stood up with haste and raised their weapons as they charged for their King.

He felt as though time slowed down as his heart leapt into his mouth. Beating, beating, so hard it hurt his shrinking lungs. They all got up with deadly intent, dark fire in their eyes as they let their rage consume them whole.

And then he was shoved back into his chair with such strength it slid several feet backwards and knocked what little air he’d taken in right out of him.

Kenny moved so fast his eyes could barely keep up. He grabbed the attacker’s sword-wielding fist and used the momentum to shove him with a force that knocked the man into a bookshelf. The next assailant was punched in the gut while his hand got crushed under the strength of Kenny’s hard. The man wailed on the ground as he held his crooked fingers as Kenny simply moved onto the next, then the next, then the next. Fluid like water, movements blurring from the speed.

None got close to Uri, his technique too precise, his movements too efficient, his superhuman strength too overpowering.

Uri shook in his chair as he watched the events unfold, hands trembling in his lap as his wide eyes darted from one person to the next in fear of being reached and hurt.

He barely registered as his guards stormed into the room and began arresting his assailants as per Kenny’s barked out commands. He could only hear his own hard breathing, a hand coming up his modest gown’s lacing and pressing over his hammering heart. In the distance, Kenny turned toward him, his expressions initially pleased, satisfied with a job well done, but it quickly turned to panic. He ran over to Uri at a hurried pace, shoving the now battle-worn room’s furniture out of the way with unnecessary force.

As he came within arm’s reach, Uri’s world faded to black.

His centre of gravity shifted, but he never fell. In fact, he felt warm and weightless for a long time, cradled by strong arms and hushed words until his back hit something soft and fluffy. He subconsciously reached for the warmth that was threatening to leave and mumbled a plea under his breath. He heard people speaking, though they seemed too far away to perceive their words. But one had an edge to it that made him feel a spark blossom in the pit of his stomach. It was gravelly and irritated, matching a rough but warm hand that slipped over his shoulder.

Slowly, he stirred.

His eyes blinked away the darkness and was greeted by his knight’s concerned visage staring back at him. It was short lived, the hand on his shoulder quickly withdrawn and the look on Kenny’s face hardening. Suppressing his disappointment, he gazed at where Dr. Jaeger seemed to be, at his feet. He held his folded legs up the way he’d taught Uri’s handmaidens to do whenever he felt dizzy and fainted. It was an unfortunately all too frequent event, but he was always taken care of, and always grateful for their service.

“Are you back with us, Your Grace?” The doctor said with a patient smile. Above him, Kenny clicked his tongue.

“What the hell is your problem, passing out like that?” He grumbled. “What kind of King keels over when someone flashes their sword at them?”

“One whose health simply needed a little extra help,” Jaeger explained with a lighthearted chuckle. “Right, Your Grace?”

Uri simply looked up into Kenny’s grey-blue eyes, his body relaxing further into his furs. There was a crinkling at the edges of Kenny’s eyes that made him smile up at his knight.

So rough around the edges. So crass with his words.

His heart though… It was quite different.

“Thank you, Kenny.”

He watched his Adam’s apple bob in his throat, lips pressed thin as his brows furrowed. With a petulant scoff, he looked away.

“Come on, don’t be such a grouch,” Uri scolded. Slowly, he began sitting up, using his knight’s thigh as leverage, who only mumbled further complaints under his breath.

Jaeger took a couple of notes, no doubt adding the day’s incident to his medical records, and when he was done, he inspected his heartbeat, his blood pressure, and took note of his findings just the same.

“I advise you to take the rest of the day off and relax as much as possible,” he said with more weight. “Keep someone you trust with you at all times as well, just to be sure. Make sure you eat plenty and don’t move much, lest you have another fainting spell before the day is through.”

“Is there anything I should do in particular?” He asked nervously. He wasn’t used to being stationary, especially since being crowned. “Just relax?”

“Yes, I believe so. If you feel like you’ll black out again, just put your head between your knees, or have someone lift your legs as I’ve taught you.” He packed his instruments and notebook in his bag and nodded at the both of them. “When you’re well rested, you should come over to my office to run some blood work so we can see if it’s just your blood pressure acting up as usual, or something more serious.”

“I promise to do as you say. Worry not.”

Jaeger gave him a bitter smile.

“I’ll always worry, Your Grace. It’s my job after all.”

Uri felt a sting of guilt. Grisha Jaeger was a truly fantastic doctor, who had cared more genuinely for him than any other royal doctor had. Much like Kenny, Jaeger’s daughter was an Ackerman herself, a lineage that was much contested in Uri’s Kingdom.Though once allies to the Fritz and Reiss families, they were deemed monstrous for their physical abilities and persecuted by the nobles. Centuries later, Uri came to power, tore that decree and burnt it, bringing the Ackermans out of the shadows and back into public life. He was surprised to find the man had kept his adopted daughter a secret out of fear, having presented his son Eren as his only offspring.

For this reason Uri had come to realise the gratitude of a loving father whenever Jaeger worried over his own fickle health, with sorrowful eyes and tight smiles. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint him, but his duty as a ruler would sometimes get in the way. Duty often called, and he always found that duty hard to ignore.

The doctor bid his goodbye, reenforcing his instructions one last time to be sure Uri understood their importance, and he emphasised he’d comply.

Once he closed the door behind him, Kenny stood up and paced the room with a resigned look on his face.

“Kenny?” Uri called. He had no response. “Kenny–”

“You almost died!” He yelled. His eyes were wide and livid. “All because you just had to White Knight my sorry ass!”

Uri sat a little straighter on his comforter.

He’d met Kenny shortly after the Ackerman decree was burnt. One thoroughly stabbed arm and an apology later, Kenny joined his cause as his trusted protector. Kenny didn’t pretend to enjoy it much, turning his nose at Uri’s whims and keeping mostly quiet except to make superficial complaints. But Uri found it amusing, even if the rejection stung.

Now, after saving him from danger, after Uri defended him, he seemed perplexed beyond his imagination.

“I am the King,” he said with conviction, despite his dizzy head. “I made the decision of my own volition and you are part of my people. It is my duty to defend your rights when you’ve been discriminated against and slaughtered by my ancestors.” His voice began to waver. “It’s the very least I can do with the power I wield. I know it’s still not enough, but can’t you see the effort I’m putting in day and night?!”

Kenny only seemed angrier by his words, and Uri felt his heart clench.

“That’s not the issue, Uri!” He yelled. “My problem is with your stupidity! You refuse to see the rot in the people you’ve surrounded yourself with and you paint a nice big bullseye on your back by going overboard your saviour complex–”

“Saviour complex?!” Uri interjected incredulously.

“–and then you put a filthy animal like me in charge of following you around like a dog, almost like bait, like you’re begging for someone you reach out and snap your neck for treason.”

Uri balled his fists into his comforter, slowly stood up and walked closer to Kenny. His steely eyes softened with worry just enough for Uri to catch, and he pressed his palm against his heart.

“Just because you were told you’re worthless by the likes of my family and accolades that does not mean it’s true. You can live a life of dignity and I certainly can and will do everything in my power to revert the damage I’ve done.”

“You didn’t do shit, Uri!” He grabbed him by the upper arms, fingers digging into the meat of his shoulders. “I’ve lived all my fucking life in the underground and I could very well keep doing it if I pleased.” He shook him gently, nails digging into his skin. It didn’t hurt, though. Kenny was precise in every inch of strength he gave away, and was never if not careful with him.

“But you don’t have to!”

“Do you doubt my skills? You are aware of what I did before you made me your pet, right, Your Highness?”

“Of course I don’t doubt– You’re not my pet, Kenny!

He came impossibly closer, and he felt his balance falter. If Kenny pushed any further, he'd fall.

But he trusted him. How could he not?

“Oh, but I am.” His voice was dark, his lips stretched in a pained grimace. Uri could feel his cheeks blistering as dark red tracks bloomed on his skin. Kenny’s expression faltered. “Wha–”

Before he could continue, Uri’s eyelids fluttered as his knees grew weak. He stumbled, head floating and vision spotted black, but Kenny quickly wrapped his arms around him.

“Shit.”

Slowly, carefully, he walked Uri back onto his bed, laying his back out and bringing his legs – skirts and all – over the comforter. Blindly, Uri bent his knees, attempting to bring his legs to his chest to follow Jaeger’s instructions, but Kenny seemed to quickly catch onto his actions, sitting on the edge of the bed himself and hesitantly reaching for his legs, smooth skin peaking through his skirts as the fabric bunched around Uri’s thighs and waist.

“Can I…?”

“Yes, please,” he said softly. “‘m too weak to keep them up on my own.”

Kenny nodded and wrapped his arm around his knees, where they bent. He shifted himself up on the bed, sitting beside his torso and bringing his legs along with his arm. Uri felt his cheeks heat up, not from his blossoming marks, but from something else too intimate that stirred low in his belly. Kenny himself seemed to have been avoiding his eyes, looking between the pale legs in his leather-clad arms and the modest cream colour of his gown.

Then, he looked up, silver eyes peering through dark lashes.

“It happens every time those damn demon trails show up on your face.”

“Demon trails…? Oh! You mean my Ymir's Blessings?”

“Sure, if that's what you call 'em.”

“Is that how Ackermans refer to our marks?” Uri contemplated his words with a sadness building in his chest. “Of course you would... How naive of me.”

Kenny licked his lips slowly, gauging Uri pensively. When he spoke up, his voice was calm and quiet, contrasting greatly with his earlier outburst.

“When my mother told me about you people – the Eldians chosen by their Gods, – she always warned me about the marks.” He gestured to his own face, drawing invisible lines over the apples of his cheeks absentmindedly. “Said they’d show up when they get real mad, like if they’re going in for an attack. That’s how we know we gotta run. She saw it in person. Angry red lines like the ones you have. Like the meat under the skin is exposed.”

Kenny lowered his hand from his face, reaching over Uri and tracing a line down his King’s cheek. His touch was hesitant and light, but with the skin changed and exposed, it felt more sensitive. Uri willed himself not to jump from the sensation, but Kenny smirked, noticing the way his body tense.

“Is that how you see me, Kenny?” Uri breathed.

“Absolutely fucking not,” Kenny scoffed. Like the thought of Uri being a heartless hunter was beyond imagination. “You could never.”

“I'm glad you don't think poorly of me, despite my shortcomings.”

“Shortcomings?”

Uri felt sheepish and looked away from Kenny, smiling sadly.

“I'm far from an exemplary King, Kenny. You’ve seen it already. I let horrible men remain in my court in hopes they'd warm up to my ideals and work with me. It took me two years to be able to cease all persecution against your Clan, and even then, I don't know where to begin with reducing the social animosity and division now that you're no longer in hiding.” His eyes stung with unshed tears. “I'm weak, Kenny. You’re right in saying I'm too soft. I have to keep trying, but nobody listens, I'm–”

“Oi, oi, stop running your mouth like that for a minute and use your fucking head.” He clicked his tongue in aggravation. “This is why you piss me the fuck off so much. If it weren't for you I'd be dead in a fucking ditch like the filth I am! Don’t you see how much of an idiot you are for letting me even sit with you alone in your own bedchamber? I could slice your fucking throat and end your miserable bloodline right now if I wanted, but you trust me because you're just. That. Good.” His eyes grew wide and sinister. “This goodness makes you the best King this Kingdom could hope for, but it will kill you one day, if you don't sharpen up. You've tasted your second assassination attempt today because you were too good to take the trash out from your court. Who says it won't be the last?”

“Kenny... That won't happen because I have you.”

Kenny stilled, his wide eyes glimmering with something Uri couldn’t understand as his brows knit in confusion.

“Did you not hear what I just said?” He asked incredulously.

Uri lifted a hand and cupped his cheek affectionately, a small, private smile on his lips.

“I trust my Kingsguard's rogue.”

There was a lot left unsaid, words he wanted to speak into existence that died on his tongue in shame. But Kenny wasn’t an unintelligent man by any means – on the contrary.

He breathed out through his teeth, scowling as though Uri’s confession offended his palate, and he could swear the silver in his eyes had turned black.

Uri suddenly felt Kenny's arm tighten its grip around his legs, and in the blink of an eye, he was on him with a knife pressed to his throat. The arm around Uri’s legs came up and bent his back enough that his skirts fell further and exposed his skin, all because Kenny reached threateningly closer to Uri. He was a palm's distance from his face, hovering over him and grinning wickedly. Uri felt like there was a sort of desperation in it, something forced and deranged in the way his brows twitched, and his smile almost morphed into a grimace if Uri squinted.

“You trust me, you say,” he said darkly, slowly, and promising to draw blood. “How can you be so stupid in the face of a murderer? Do you have any idea what I could do to you before anyone even found out?”

Uri felt his cheeks blister. He could feel his fading marks blooming stronger and redder on his face as he felt the steel against his skin. But he remained still, impassive. He was lashing out, Uri was certain. He had to talk him down with carefully chosen words.

“I imagine you could do plenty,” he said, playing along.

“I could. I could slice you in the right place and have you bleed out before I finish re-fastening my cloak. But if I wanted to draw it out I could also toss your gown up and use your little body like the maiden you dress as.” His fingers dug into his thigh, making him take a sharp intake of air. “Your stinkin’ trust could have you done right here and now.”

His skin prickled, gooseflesh rippling over his exposed skin. It wasn’t just from the adrenaline, but the intimate touch Kenny had on his body. And he didn’t complain, he couldn’t; not from the looming fear, but because he animalistically craved more. Perhaps Kenny was right and he was a fool. A suicidal fool who lost all sense when confronted with mortal danger, like a moth drawn to a light.

Uri settled his breath before speaking. When he did, his voice was unwavering.

“But you won't.” Kenny's nostrils flared. Uri pressed his lips together, brows furrowed in concentration. He insisted, “you won't.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I just know.”

“What proof do you have?”

Uri looked at him quizzically. The hand on his thigh had softened its grip, his grimace had relaxed into a frown that was almost akin to a pout. He couldn’t help the bubbling laugh that escaped his throat.

What a stubborn man he was.

“What's so fucking funny?” He lazily grazed his knife up his neck, sending a shiver down Uri's spine.

“Kenny, do you take me for a blind man? A deaf one, even?” He asked softly around a smile. “You save me from imminent danger and carry me to my room. You argue with me over the goodness you see in my heart as you hold my legs, when I'm too weak to do so myself. How do you expect me to believe this nonsense you speak of?”

Kenny exhaled sharply through his teeth. Uri's hand trailed up Kenny's chest, neck and jaw. He nimbly tucked a lock of stark black hair behind his ear, smiling up at him, unworried. Because he was just that – unworried.

Kenny suddenly tossed his knife to the side without looking, slicing through a tapestry that hung on the wall, dead centre. Uri followed his extended arm and admired his shot with wide, awe-filled eyes.

“You're gonna be the death of me.”

Uri barely registered as Kenny’s firm hand held his chin and guided him to face his knight once more, meeting him in a searing kiss. His violet eyes widened in surprise, hands hovering blindly before the warmth of it washed over him, making him moan and latch onto Kenny’s wide shoulders. He was demanding and voracious, licking into his mouth, squeezing his thigh and trailing his hand up and down his neck and shoulders possessively. There was an air of danger in it that made him whine into their kisses with abandon, enjoying every sensation Kenny had to offer and only craving more.

“You sound so good like that,” Kenny said, voice heavy with arousal.

Uri only sighed, feeling a calloused hand trailing curiously up his naked thigh. His other one remained on his face, a thumb brushing over his sensitive cheeks and making him shiver.

“The marks aren’t fading,” he said, licking his lips. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

Uri squirmed as Kenny’s hand grabbed his upper thigh harder, so close to where it met his behind it was maddening.

“Ymir’s Blessings present when certain bloodlines of Eldians experience strong emotions, like anger or heartbreak, or when their bodies experience something intense.” He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Like a knife in the arm… Or arousal.”

Kenny grinned with mischievous eyes.

“Your Highness,” he said sarcastically. “If you’d told me you liked my knife against your throat so much, I wouldn’t have tossed it.”

“I– I didn’t–”

“Maybe next time?” He teased, reaching down to nibble on Uri’s neck, teeth raking his skin and tongue prodding it for a taste.

“K-Kenny, I was just surprised, is all,” he sighed, his body clinging to his knight as though he were a lifeline, as though he needed his body’s touch to breathe.

Kenny hummed as he tasted his skin further down to his collarbone, using the hand once on his waist to undo the lacing at the front.

“You make a mess of my head, you know that?” His hands were hurried and rough, possessive and greedy. Uri felt his heart leaping from the anticipation as he felt his fingers run down his sternum as his gown undid itself. He hoped to be touched further, grabbed by Kenny’s large hands and completely taken apart, and the sooner the better.

“How so?” He breathed, voice wearing thin.

“Fuck.” He sat back up and toed his boots off before crawling back onto the bed with haste and parting Uri’s legs. “You’re a living saint and walk around prettier than any woman I’ve ever met. You know how hard it is to keep myself from tarnishing that innocent look on your face you wear all the time?”

His hands ran up his calves and knees as he watched the way his skirts fell and pooled around his upper thighs and stomach, revealing the full extent of his legs. He gave Uri a look, a request for permission, and he nodded.

“I find it hard to believe there aren’t any women more fetching than I am,” he managed to speak despite the nervous lump in his throat. Kenny’s touch made its way further and further up his thighs, nails dragging along teasingly, a little mean, and making him shiver. “Perhaps the problem is that you just happen to not like women at all.”

Kenny chuckled, grabbing his flesh tight between his fingers, digging his nails into it more than he had to. The sting made Uri gasp.

“Yeah, guess that checks out.”

He shifted the rest of his skirts up, giving him access as he sat closer between his legs. Uri flushed as he felt fresh leather coming into contact with his warm, naked legs.

“You’re also wearing a shift,” he mumbled. “Just like a maiden.”

Uri nodded, licking his lips.

“It’s comfortable,” he said, feeling very small under Kenny’s large body and focused gaze.

“I imagine,” he scoffed. “And it means easier access for me, so I ain’t complaining.”

Slowly, curiously, his hands dipped under his small clothes, and with every inch, his intimacy was further exposed. He closed his eyes self-consciously as he felt his fingers trail beside his pelvis and over his hips, the cool evening air touching the heated skin of his arousal.

“Look at me,” he said sternly. Uri’s eyes shot open as Kenny leaned down. “Can I touch you, Your Highness?”

Yes, he wanted to say. God, please, yes.

“You know it’s Your Grace,” he said instead.

Kenny’s lips quirked up in a playful grin. If Uri were anyone else, he’d believe it was a menacing omen. But he knew Kenny well. The mirth dancing around his eyes as he looked down at him was clear as day to him.

“My Lord and Lady, you’re awfully cheeky for someone with his legs spread and his pretty cock out.” The way Uri’s cheeks blistered was nearly painful as he blushed deeper. “What, cat got your tongue?”

Kenny was right above him, a hair’s width away from kissing his lips, words spoken conspiratorially. Between them, they barely touched. It wasn’t a mercy; Kenny was kind to him, but he knew very well how much Uri craved his touch. It was his way of punishing his insolence, he was sure. And Uri would have found the role reversal amusing if he wasn’t leaking and trembling from need.

“Please,” he said, leaning up to touch him. His arms wrapped around his torso and lips chased Kenny’s own, and Kenny relented, kissing him back and allowing his body to weigh down on Uri’s.

Uri moaned against Kenny’s lips as he felt the stiff front of his trousers rut onto his naked arousal. He bucked his hips into him, their bodies moving in waves as Kenny licked into his mouth. He was lascivious in how he kissed him, be it the way his tongue swirled in his mouth or the way his hands and hips conducted his body and ignited the fire in his blood. Those hands cradled his jaw, ran in circles over his undressed chest and pinched his nipples. They traced over his sensitive thighs and grabbed his behind with lust. He spun in circles as spit dribbled down his chin between their lips and tongues, his voice echoing without restraints throughout his royal bedroom.

“You’re a dream,” Kenny said, low and gravelly as his half-lidded eyes took him in hungrily. He rutted down on Uri’s painfully hard cock and watched with sadistic pleasure as he winced and shuddered in his arms. “The King of Paradis lost in the throws of passion.” He licked a stripe up his neck and sucked on his pulse. “The King who denies marriage proposals every day, but lets an assassin like me take him like my own.”

“You’re my knight, Kenny.” Uri’s voice was rough from use and weak, his breathing harsh from strain.

“Eh,” he shrugged. He was grinning as he put some distance between the two. Self-satisfied and pink across his cheeks and nose. “Same difference, really.”

Without breaking eye contact he unclasped his belt

“Tell me, my King,” he said as he stroked himself. “Have you ever done this?”

Uri shook his head, his violet eyes jumping from the heavy cock in Kenny’s hand and the heavy look in his eyes.

Kenny hummed, looking Uri up and down as well and biting his lip.

“You have oil anywhere in here?”

Uri reached for his nightstand wordlessly and fished out a glass vial from one of the drawers. Kenny’s eyebrows shot up.

“I… I’ve only ever experienced it alone,” he said in lieu of an explanation.

Kenny swiped it from Uri’s hands in a flash and made his way down his body like a starving man.

“You’re gonna have to show me how you do it when I’m not here, one of these days…” He kissed over Uri’s hips, between his inner thighs, where it connected to his pelvis, and he could swear he could feel his breath over his arousal.

“It’s nothing special, I’m afraid,” he said, hand coming up to his mouth as his impatience threatened to spill more sounds of desperation from his lips. “It’s nothing like how you make me feel.”

Kenny clicked his tongue.

“When you say things like that, it makes it real hard to control myself, you know that?”

And before Uri could reply, Kenny’s hot mouth swallowed him whole.

He gasped, hands latching onto the bed sheets as his hips unconsciously bucked further into his throat. A long, drawn-out moan escaped his lips as Kenny bobbed his head up and down his shaft, while long fingers slipped between his cheeks below. Uri let himself be carried away by Kenny’s ministrations, feeling those fingers become slick with saliva as they rubbed against his entrance. When he thrust them in, he felt no pain and he welcomed the strange intrusion. Wiggling his hips around the digits, Uri sighed and asked for more. Kenny obliged and the stretch was, once again, very welcome. His own fingers weren’t very big, his entire figure dainty and delicate from head to toe, so the way Kenny stretched his hole beyond his usual limits, and at a better angle too, was a wonderful new experience. He felt fuller and the way the pads of his fingers rubbed at his inner walls was electrifying. He shivered, cried out with every suck at his tip and every thrust within his body, the pressure in his lower belly building as sparks lit up across his gooseflesh riddled skin.

“Please,” he sobbed. “Kenny, I’m gonna–”

“No you ain’t,” he ordered, his fingers digging into his flesh in a way that made his jaw drop. His body stilled instantly despite the pleasure, eager to obey the dark edge in his knight’s voice above all else. “You’re cumming with my dick in you. No sooner. No later.”

Uri shivered, but nodded, breathing steadily through his nose as he tried to keep his body reigned under control. That was, until Kenny decided to praise him.

“Good boy,” he said, licking the tip of his cock, voice rough from effort.

Uri moaned, a pleasant spike of pleasure running down his spine as he rutted down into his mouth and fingers.

“S-Sorry,” he apologised breathlessly.

Kenny removed himself from him, laughing breathlessly and shaking his head.

“You like it when I threaten you, you like it when I praise you…” He shoved both his trousers and breeches lower, down to his mid-thigh. Uri’s mouth watered as he watched his cock bob between his legs and Kenny did the same with a lazy smile. He opened the vial of oil and spilled its contents over his erection, lathering it over himself and giving him a slow once-over. “Sounds to me like I scored an easy audience.”

“I am not easy!” Uri argued, latching onto his skirts in embarrassment, knees bending to give his knight better access to his hips.

Kenny grinned as he lined himself up, eyes crinkling at the corners with genuine joy.

“Now ain’t that the truth, Your Grace.”

He thrust in, the tip of his cock catching his rim and sinked into him easily. It was a bit of a stretch, thicker than Kenny’s fingers and Uri’s own, but his body accommodated Kenny as though he belonged inside of him. He moaned something needy as he filled him up, inch by inch until his hips connected with his bottom. Once he did so, he reached for Uri’s legs and brought them over his shoulders, leaning further down and bending him in half in the process.

“Kenny,” Uri sighed, the position making Kenny’s cock press further into his sensitive inner walls.

“That okay?”

“Of course.”

He slowly thrust out, then back in, feeling for discomfort as Uri gazed up at Kenny’s furrowed concentration. His silver eyes locked with his own as he began to pick up the pace and the sound of skin slapping into skin filled Uri’s ears. Kenny’s cock rubbed against his sensitive nerves and it was overpowering, making him moan and tremble and latch onto his wide shoulders for support. And Kenny didn’t relent, leaning down to capture his lips with his own. He wasn’t gentle there, biting and sucking and drawing pitiful, unbecoming sounds from his King.

“You can go harder,” he pleaded between kisses. He was close again, all too fast, but desperate enough not to feel embarrassed at his depleted stamina.

“You’re not supposed to exert yourself.” His voice rumbled in his chest as he leaned down to suck open mouthed kisses along the column of his neck. “The doctor said so himself.”

“It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?” Uri huffed in disbelief, groaning as the knight sunk his teeth into his feverish skin.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for.” He licked the sore flesh, making Uri shiver.

Kenny had a bad habit of assuming the worst of himself. He picked the most interesting parts of himself and turned them into flaws, big red warning signs to ward people like Uri off so he could remain in the shadows, on his own. It was difficult for him to show Kenny how wrong he was about himself, how every one of those weaknesses were strengths he should be proud of.

He reached for his face, cradling it and running his thumbs over the apples of his cheeks.

“Haven’t I told you already?” He said with as much weight and sincerity as he could. “I trust you.”

Kenny stopped moving as he looked for something in Uri’s eyes. Perhaps it was confirmation that his words were true. Or maybe his concerns lingered, despite his faith and eagerness.

“Alright,” he finally said. “But don’t come complanin’ when your ass hurts tomorrow.”

Uri wanted to protest, but found himself unable to.

Kenny grabbed onto his waist and pistoned his hips into him as he pulled Uri in. He was fast and precise with his angle, and his thrusts smacked into his behind with an intensity unmatched. It was overwhelming. His eyes fluttered half-closed as he struggled to focus on anything but the red hot pleasure building increasingly fast with every one of Kenny’s forceful movements. Uri mewled pleas he could barely remember thinking of, voice too weak to form full words.

“How’s that for you, Your Grace?” Kenny said cockily. “Feel good?”

“Yes,” Uri moaned without a second thought, hips stuttering against the harsh punishment he put him through as pleasure built and built and threatened to spill. Every second, Kenny’s body was pushing into his, rubbing against his walls, pressing into sensitive nerves, pounding so deep he could feel it rut against his insides. Kenny wasn’t a stupid man, he knew there was a limit to his strength before he did any real damage, but he must have had extensive experience if he knew the precise point as to approach the brink of danger without ever crossing it. And Uri, truthfully, was more than glad for it, if it meant he could always feel that ecstasy when Kenny was with him.

His spine bent like a bowstring as he came, pleasure racking his body and making him shiver violently with every subsequent thrust.

“Don’t stop,” he moaned as he felt Kenny’s hips faltering. “Don’t stop, don’t stop–”

“So fucking tight,” he growled, pounding into him as he chased his own climax. His nails dug into his hips, his ass getting further bruised with every hard smack of his hips and thighs. Uri whined and sobbed as Kenny’s cock rubbed his skin raw, making his body jolt and twitch from oversensitivity.

And as soon as his hips began to lose their steady rhythm, Kenny reached between the two of them to wrap a hand around Uri’s leaking cock.

He widened his eyes in surprise as he gasped. The brand new sensation was overpowering in its own right, untouched and spent at once and finally having its aroused, scorching skin satiated. He spilled again, barely registering his own orgasm as it struck him a second time as he squeezed harder around Kenny’s cock. His thrusts then stilled, growling as he filled him up with his seed.

It was filthy, but Uri felt anything but. How could he feel as though Kenny had dirtied him, when he’d never felt more loved? He held onto his shoulders and brought him down, feeling the warmth of his body engulfing his own as they kissed again. Slowly, he slipped out of Uri, allowing him to lay fully on top of him and wrapping his arms around his middle into a tight hug. Lips locked with lips and tongues tasted each other eagerly, fingertips playing with soft hair and legs tangling together. Once satisfied, they laid next to each other, still clingy, still lost in each other. Silently conversing the only way emotion could.

“I was a coward,” Uri eventually broke the silence. They played with each other's hands, fingers trailing over skin playfully and interlacing together.

Kenny stared at him, pensive.

“I had people in my council unworthy of their positions, people who wished harm on my subjects. I shouldn’t have waited this long to act on my beliefs. I kept making excuse after excuse, and all that led was a slow progress in my will of action and another attempt on my life.”

“Is this your way of sayin’ I was right?”

Uri chuckled.

“In a way, but you’re still too extreme.”

“Where I’m from any bit of good faith will get you killed.”

Uri grinned.

“Good thing you’re no longer in the underground.”

Kenny smiled wryly, but good naturedly.

“You’re right. Now at least I’m paid to suspect others.”

Uri swatted his peck with the back of his hand, rolling his eyes.

“You understand where I’m getting at.”

Kenny grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer, hand holding the small of his back and bringing their bodies flushed together. His smile grew cocky, with a tired edge to it that was nothing if not charming and heartwarming.

“Aye, I do. And I have something to say as well.”

He looked up at him quizzically.

“You aren’t the only coward here. I shouldn’t have tried to hurt you just because I couldn’t sort myself out.”

Uri pressed his lips together in concern.

“It must have been hard, carrying all that on your own.” Kenny’s eyebrows furrowed, eyes widening minutely. “I know things were bad in the underground, but that doesn’t mean it’ll happen to either of us now. You don’t have to make a show of it, to prove a point. ”

Kenny shook his head to hide the blush creeping up his neck.

“You almost got yourself killed, of course I’m gonna freak the fuck out. It wasn’t right, but you fucked up, too.”

Uri just smiled.

“Yes, I still have a lot to learn,” he said simply. “Isn’t that what makes us human?”

Kenny’s disgruntled expression relaxed into something more serene. The blue in his grey eyes shone against the light of his lanterns as he leaned in to kiss his lips. It was chaste and gentle, both things that Kenny wasn’t. The dichotomy pleased Uri’s romanticism.

“Aye, Your Grace,” he said when they parted, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. “I’ll do my worst for the all-too benevolent King of Paradis.”

Uri scoffed, puffing his cheeks and pretending they weren’t growing pink by the second.

“Why do you keep addressing me that way?” He looked up through his lashes, catching the mirth in Kenny’s eyes. “You’re just making fun of me.”

“I am,” he chuckled.

Uri looked away, trying and failing not to smile.

“So you’ll keep disregarding my rank everywhere except in bed, is that it?”

He kissed his cheek, running his calloused fingertips over his hairless jawline and into his silver locks.

“Absolutely, my liege.”

◈ ◈ ◈ ◈ ◈

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crisalidaseason · 10 months ago

Note

obsessed with your kenuri universe and would love to see some kenny/kuchel fluffy sibling time (why'd have to kill heeeer jk)

You ask and I shall deliver. This took me longer than I wanted (I should have posted it in December but I was very depressed). Also, sorry for having to K my sweet Kuchel, but she is very much alive in this!

Family chaos on Christmas - the prequel

Summary: Kenny is miserably working on the holiday season, Kuchel is very pregnant and Uri is worming his way into Kenny's heart.

Content warning: within my family chaos universe, modern au, a prequel of sorts, some angst, mentions of pregnancy and labor, Kenny is a good brother, Kenny is tired and anxious, mentions of anxiety, slight descriptions of anxiety attacks, fluff, some domestic vibes, sibling bond, pining (Kenny/Uri)

__________________________________________________________

Kenny waited five seconds after she left to immediately switch the door sign from open to closed.

“Happy holidays, mister Ackerman” the old woman waved as she finally left the shop.

“Happy holidays, ma’am”

“Fucking finally”

The young man wanted nothing more than to end that shift. He thought it should be a crime to work on December 24th.

“Who fucking needs repair tools on Christmas?? You know, if people were less stupid and more organized all shops could close on holidays”

He had complained while getting ready for work that morning. Kuchel - the little shit that she was - just laughed at his annoyance.

“At least the owner let you close earlier, Ken. It could have been worse”

He huffed while recalling the short conversation. It was easy for Kuchel to not relate to his misery, she never worked on holidays even before she went on maternity leave. For him, working six instead of eight hours on Christmas made no difference in the end, since traffic would probably take the rest of his sanity away.

“Fuck off” he screamed loudly as he hit yet another traffic jam. It took 30 extra minutes for him to finally arrive at the apartment complex. He groaned while parking, Kuchel’s car was almost giving up - that old thing would die on them any day, Kenny was dreading it. He managed to park and almost cried in relief. Finally home!

Well. He may have rid himself of work, but home was another rollercoaster to get through.

“Kenny!” the woman greeted him from the living room/kitchen couch “took you long enough”

The older ackerman was sitting comfortably on the couch, reading a book, a heavy blanket covering her round middle section and many pillows stacked around her.

“Have you eaten?” the man asked “I thought about take out, but traffic was impossible to go through”

“I snacked a little, it’s fine” she assured him, but her face said otherwise.

She finally reached the ninth month - or, according to her, the 39th week - of her pregnancy. Kuchel was huge and feeling as uncomfortable as her appearance suggested. The last few weeks were filled with low mobility and badly assembled snacks.

“What about some chicken salad?” he suggested “I pre-made some seasoned shredded chicken”

The woman’s eyes beamed at him.

“Kenny, you’re a lovely lovely brother, you know that?”

He groaned.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever”

Despite his initial stress and tiredness, there was a calming property in cooking a tasty chicken salad. He was far from a good student in school, but the ‘chemistry’ and ‘physics’ of food always fascinated him, he wished life could subside enough for him to spend more time experimenting with cooking. The satisfaction of eating a good meal was a recent comfort he was thankful for everyday.

“Here” he handed his sister the plate with plenty of the chicken salad “beverage?”

She motioned the half full bottle of guava juice on the kitchen table, silently denying his question. The Ackerman man sat down on the ground, with his own plate on his lap, leaving a groan of relief at the first bite. He turned the television on, looking for something interesting to watch but only finding Christmas movies or news.

“Go back!” Kuchel’s voice almost startled him.

“What? The stupid christmas movie?”

She nodded fervently while still chewing. Kenny shook his head and went back to the channel playing a movie - what seemed to be one of those holiday rom coms.

“I thought you hated romcoms,” Kenny commented.

“I do”

Kenny had learned early on that pregnancy made Kuchel even weirder. From the moment she found out the unexpected demon spawn in her uterus, she had weird cravings (not only for food, there were a few weeks she could only sleep by watching animal documentaries). He learned to not question after a while, it kept things easy to handle.

“Do you think family Christmas dinners are always like that?” she pointed her fork at the tv “It seems so inaccurate”

Kenny shrugged. Still focused on his plate.

“Well, it doesn’t snow here in december so safe to say it might not be so accurate” his sister concluded on her own.

They kept eating in silence and the movie proved to be just as stupid as it promised, though he heard sniffling behind him. Now, if there is something Kenny learned ever since he and his sister finally left the foster system to live together was that you don’t question her feelings - especially pregnant. He almost considered patting her on the shoulders in comfort but remembered she still had a good aim and her flip flops were right there, ready to be thrown.

“What a stupid movie” she mumbled.

He stood up, taking Kuchel’s plate and finally building courage to do the dishes despite his exhaustion. He heard his sister turn off the television and certain sounds indicated she was leaving her cocoon of blankets and pillows, grunting during the entire process.

“You okay there?” he asked while hanging the dishes to dry.

It was safe to say Kenny panicked a bit too often with Kuchel’s every display of discomfort - the nervousness of her due date always on the back of his mind. The young man was not feeling prepared at all for the big day even with his sister’s advice and thorough explanations of the process - although Kuchel herself was very new to this and also terrified despite not admitting.

“Yes Kenny, the boy isn’t coming out until next week. Relax…Uh!” she let out a shriek.

He hated her so much. Kenny ran to the living room, trying to see any signs of wetness indicating that the antichrist wanted out, instead he found his sister peering down at his phone - which was silently vibrating with a call.

“It’s your loverboy” she smiled at him like the little shit that she was “pick it up or I will”

“He isn’t-” he sighed, giving up this fruitless conversation they always had and picking up the phone.

“Hello” Kenny answered.

“Good evening, Kenny, is it bad timing?”

“No, not at all!” He dried his hands on his beat up jeans, Kuchel waving crazily in front of him.

“Great! I just wanted to call because I thought a message felt a bit too distant. I know you said you don’t celebrate Christmas, but I just wanted to wish you and Kuchel a special good night’s rest.”

The noises on the background indicated Uri, his neighbor, was probably at a family gathering at his family home, Kenny could hear loud voices and holiday music playing softly.

“Thank you Uri, we appreciate it”

Kuchel was staring at Kenny so intensely he felt a hole on his forehead, her insistent mouthing of “Can I talk to him?” “Let me talk to him!!”, distracting the man.

“In fact, she is right here dying to talk to you”

Uri laughed - a pretty sound that was - and asked to talk to Kuchel.

“Hey Uri! I haven’t seen you today but I wish you a wonderful christmas” His sister beamed at the cellphone.

She talked shortly to the other man, thanking Uri for the well wishes. Kenny was grateful his sister did not try to embarrass him this time - he had enough of her hinting to Uri that Kenny had a slight (giant) crush on the Reiss man.

“Your sister is a lovely woman. I’ll bring some food for you two when I head home”

“Nah, It’s okay, Uri. No need”

“No, I insist Kenny. We have plenty of food here anyway and I know you’ve been working a lot lately. At least we keep Kuchel with a sustainable meal to eat when you’re not home tomorrow”

“You convinced me, but don’t come crying to me when she forces you to have dinner with us and show you the same ultrasound pictures again” Kenny said, chuckling.

To that Kuchel raised her middle finger, mouthing a “fuck you, Kenny”

“Nothing more wonderful than spending the evening with Ackermans” Uri chuckled - what a pretty sound “I have to go, Frieda is looking at me like I am committing a crime, but I see the two of you soon”

They said their goodbyes and the call went off, Kenny’s heart was doing strange jumps on his ribcage - he was down bad for that man. Kuchel was sitting on the couch, smiling like a mad woman and clapping her hands.

“Not a word” he warned her.

“For the love of god, Kenny, ask that man on a date!”

He ignored her while heading for a shower, if he let Kuchel speak about Uri he would probably end up dealing with feeling he was too tired to process. Kenny preferred to like Uri from a distance - just being neighbors that got along well. His sister constantly telling him the Reiss man was into him did not help at all.

“Not only is he clearly interested, but he is so kind and patient, Ken! Give the poor man a little chance” she would say.

Kenny tried not to think about it, failing miserably though. He had many opportunities to meet Uri on a more romantic level, the man had invited him for coffee so many times and Kenny always refused politely. He was afraid, Uri did not know the mess he was in the head. And the worst part: Uri was really patient and understanding and respectful and observant…Kenny had a problem.

“I’m gonna sleep” Kenny knocked on his sister’s room “need anything else?”

“No! Everything okay. You should sleep, Ken”

He wished her a good night and flopped into his bed, slumber quickly taking him.

He never had dreams, only nightmares or an empty sleep. That night though, he dreamed about him and Kuchel sitting on a huge table full of food. His sister had a nice elegant red dress, contrasting with her long dark hair. Kenny himself looked down to see a nice set of pants and button up shirt. The decorations screamed Christmas - there was even snow outside!- but what surprised him was seeing Uri beside him, equally well dressed…with a baby in his arms. The small little human seemed to be pushing one year old, almost pink in color, pouty face, dark hair, looking at Kenny with light colored eyes.

“You want your uncle, little one?” Uri said, bouncing the child slightly.

As if he had no control, Kenny felt his arms reach out to the baby, his voice coming out in equal involuntary action.

“I know, I’m your favorite” his voice sounded…happy. Not that he was against having a nephew, he just struggled to have a connection with someone he had never met. But in that moment, looking at light blue eyes, he wondered if he could measure how dear that boy was.

“Typical of Levi to prefer the one who calls him demon spawn” Kuchel said.

The dream faded slowly, with the last scenes of a baby on his lap while they celebrated Christmas just like that stupid movie they were watching. He woke up feeling a strange sense of missing something. Of sadness. He stayed in bed for longer than usual, wondering why he dreamed of that. His only family was Kuchel for as long as he remembers, everything different than that seemed terrifying.

The boy seemed so real. What about Uri? Could he ever be anything more than a friendly neighbor?

Deciding that he can’t afford having an existential crisis, the man finally decided to start his routine, but early morning finally came to test Kenny's bowels. As soon as he saw Kuchel enter the kitchen, seemingly uncomfortable and walking weirdly, he panicked once again.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” Kenny asked again - to his own demise.

“Kenny!” His sister warned him.

“I’m just worried, you seem to be hurting quite a lot”

Kuchel looked at him unimpressed, not answering. She had woken up that morning complaining of a few contractions.

“It’s probably false alarm, Kenny, but it still sucks”

Kenny was in a full pit of anxiety at that point. Everytime she had a false alarm he panicked anyway, a single sneeze and that spawn would pop out of her. He didn't think she would make it to an entire week.

“I’m gonna try and call your doctor again”

Kenny tried once again the number, without success.

“We should go to the hospital, Kuch” he tried again to convince her.

“No! They’re just going to send us home again, let’s see if it progresses and then we go”

Kenny was honestly tired, and scared, but he nodded. It took several minutes for Kuchel to finally convince him to go to work for at least the morning shift, but he was not able to concentrate well. He checked her text messages constantly, alongside Uri’s.

Uri Reiss Neighbor: I’m with her, if anything happens I’ll rush her to the hospital

You: Thanks Uri, I promise I’ll be back by 2pm since it’s Xmas day

Uri Reiss Neighbor: No need to thank me, see you soon. I’m making lunch if that’s okay.

That man was a fucking saint. Kenny was down bad. He had to concentrate while trying not to fall in love with that man or dying of worry for his sister. Work was haphazardly done, Kenny practically breaking traffic laws to go home, practically climbing the stairs to his apartment floor, thinking he would have to immediately rush her to a hospital for the antichrist to be born…just to find Uri and Kuchel sitting quietly on the dinner table, tea in front of them and a deck of cards.

“Good afternoon, Kenny” Reiss greeted him.

“Hi, Ken”

Kenny looked at his sister with confusion. She seemed composed and calm. Uri - as always - was well dressed, smelling like a hundred yards of soft flowers, calmly playing with Kuchel.

“The contraction stopped as soon as you left” she said, pointing to her huge stomach “maybe he doesn’t like you”

Kenny groaned, sitting on the couch to catch his breath.

“Demon spawn” he mumbled, smiling discreetly.

Kuchel turned, burning him with her eyes.

“He is a perfect little angel”

That was another bickering Kenny did not want to continue so he just surrendered. But he was a demon child! Anything born from an Ackerman was demonic - Kenny was an absolute nightmare as a kid and he was already dreading that baby.

“Hungry?” Uri asked “There is a plate for you in the microwave”

His noisy stomach answered for him, guiding his already tired self to the kitchen. The food was probably from the family dinner Uri went to last night, good quality meat and tasty sauce. He wondered if he could reproduce that recipe one day and maybe make a special dinner after the baby was born. He ate on the table while watching his sister and Uri play with the cards, attentively listening to Kuchel's gossip of the apartment complex group chat. She was bored to death most days, watching people from the balcony and stalking the chat seemed to be the entertainment of the century.

“It’s okay, Uri, now that Kenny is here he can keep an eye on me” his sister said once Uri hesitated to return to his family’s home.

“I’ll return tomorrow morning. My mother really insisted that I return to the church’s dinner tonight but if anything happens you can call me” he assured the Ackerman siblings before reluctantly leaving.

“He is such a nice man” Kuchel quietly said once Kenny had closed the door “I know I bother you with it, but I really think he would be a good match”

Kenny smiled a little, sitting beside his sister on the couch and softly shoving her with his shoulder.

“I know, but I really don’t feel ready right now”

Love was not something he thought was possible. Not for him, much like it wasn't for his sister. He felt her hand on his forearm, rubbing him softly.

“I know, take your time” she said in a hushed tone “like I said, he is a very patient man”

Her calm features soon contorted into painful ones. She let a long breath out.

“Another contraction?” he asked.

She nodded, breathing in and out in a slow rhythm.

“It never really stopped, but I did not want to alarm any of you until I was sure it was constant”

“Kuchel! What the actual fuck-”

“Shhhhh” she said “don’t scold me! I am counting them and I can’t do this if both of you keep hovering over me”

Kenny groaned, visualizing himself shaving her hair bald as revenge for the rollercoaster of worry he felt.

“Do you think it’s for real?” he asked her.

Kuchel nodded, holding his forearm strongly.

“I’m scared” she whispered “I don’t know if I can do this, Ken”

Despite his anxiety, he tried to comfort her by holding her shoulders in a strange side hug - typical of a touch terrified Kenny. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“I’ll be with you, Kuch”

And he did. When her contractions became too unbearable and close timing, they left for the hospital in the midst of a starting rain. The streets were calm since it was late at night, everyone most likely at the churches celebrating the holiday.

“Ma’am, my sister is giving birth” he had told the woman at the front desk.

“No father, I’m the one taking care of her” he told the social worker registering the appointment.

“Can you call another doctor then?” he almost yelled when they informed her doctor was MIA.

“Can anyone please check on her for god’s sake?!” he tried to stay calm when nobody would check on his sister when her water broke.

It was a turbulent three hours, time bringing a raging storm that occasionally painted the sky with lightning and thunder. When Kuchel was finally checked on, she was fully ready to push. Kenny was a strong man, but he wanted to die with every scream coming out of his sister’s throat. His hand was still, only because of the iron grip she had on it, otherwise he would be trembling. When the cry of a baby finally broke the room’s chaos, Kenny thought he had lost his hearing. Everything had gone muffled and fuzzy. He did not know, but later the nurses told him that he was almost hyperventilating, still holding Kuchel’s hand despite his eyes losing focus.

“Look at him, Kenny” Kuchel was crying “he is so small”

The baby laying on her chest was nothing like the grown infant of his dream, in fact, that newborn was multiple shades of red and purple, scrunched face and tiny feet, limbs so thin they could be compared to the girth of Kenny’s fingers.

“Sir, breathe in and out, you’ll be fine” said a nurse nearby.

He kept his eyes on the small being, then at his sister. She was sweaty, exhausted and crying profusely. He wanted her cries to be only of happiness, but he knew she was just as terrified of this as he was. They were just two adults with a fucked up story, having to care for a non planned baby. He was barely 25 and had an entire human to watch out for - because he sure would not leave Kuchel to deal with this on her own.

“Welcome, spawn. I’m your uncle” he managed to choke out.

Kuchel laughed, more because of the drugs than actually finding the nickname funny. He spent the entire night watching over a sleeping sister and the baby in the bassinet. He admired as the storm raged in the first hours of the morning, the darkness still outside. His cellphone would occasionally ring with notifications.

Uri Reiss neighbor: I got stuck because of the rain, the streets are flooded. I’ll get there, I promise, but it might take a while. Tell me what I can bring to you or Kuchel.

He smiled at the phone, sending Uri his gratitude. Despite the chaos outside, he felt a strange sense of peace. Maybe it was the medication the nurses administered due to his mini anxiety attack, but he liked to think it was a sign that everything would be alright.

“How are you feeling?” said the slurred voice of Kuchel.

“I should be asking this”

“Well, I'm a bit high” she smiled “and you seem too”

He chuckled, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kuchel looked at the bassinet, warmth in her tired eyes.

“He is out…”

“On a holiday!” Kenny complemented “spawn made sure to be born at the same day of Jesus”

“Fuck you” she laughed “I think he came to force us to celebrate christmas day in a way or another”

Kenny nodded, not doubting for a moment that whatever ruled this world had a strange sense of humor.

“He was almost born on the 26th for just a few minutes” he said “he was determined”

The Ackerman siblings kept the comfortable silence, Kuchel not taking her eyes off the sleeping baby nearby.

“Kenny”

“Hm?”

He looked at her tired eyes, Kenny realizing they were so similar to the baby of his dream.

“I don’t have a name for him”

“You were never satisfied with the thousand names you picked” he replied.

“Maybe something with a ‘K’? To match us” she said.

“That’s horrendous, Kuchel!” he protested “Me and you having a name with a ‘K’ is already atrocious enough”

“You’re right…” she said “I want something that doesn’t come from parents we barely knew”

Kenny deliberated if he should tell her about the name of his dream. Levi…he remembered something about that name in bible study he was forced into by the orphanage. It meant something specific, meant-

“Connection”

Kuchel eyed him as if he had lost his mind.

“Kenny, if this is your suggestion-”

“No, woman, listen!” he interrupted “I mean that he is connected to us only. Your kid, my nephew, nothing else”

“Well, that’s true”

“And Levi means connected, joined” He finally said it.

Kuchel pondered for a moment, analyzing the name by looking at the child’s sleeping shape.

“A biblical name, right? I remember it from church” Kuchel said.

“It’s just a suggestion-”

“I like it” she interrupted this time “Levi. It sounds firm, strong”

She smiled, as if contemplating calling him that for the rest of his life. Kenny thought she would put up a fight - for being the one to carry for months and not choosing the name.

“Levi it is” she concluded.

Kenny nodded, happy that she liked it. He did not know if his dream was prophetic or just an amalgamation of anxiety and nine months of constantly thinking about this other being in their lives.

“Can I ask you something really important?”

He nodded.

“He was born on Christmas” she began “I know we never really liked this day because of all the family bullshit, but now…”

He understood. They were bitter people, but that kid had nothing to do with it.

“We’re gonna give him the Christmas we never had, right Kenny?”

#kenny ackerman #kenny #kuchel ackerman #uri reiss #kenuri #kenny x uri #levi ackerman #levi

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