Jock Next Bed (BL)-Chapter 255: Kai Cowling

The party wound down in a haze of stumbling and giggles. The drunk friends filtered through the mansion’s hallways, their laughter echoing off expensive walls.

Wilson led the procession, looking decidedly tipsy as he gestured grandly at doors. "Since you’ve all had soooo much to eat and drink tonight," he announced, swaying slightly, "now you need to sleeeeep." He dissolved into giggles.

The only one who seemed relatively sober was Chris. He’d spent most of the night talking to guests, nursing the same drink for hours. Jack also appeared fairly normal, having drunk purely from boredom but with practiced control.

Rachel was chill but funnily trying to support Noel’s giant body, though it looked more like he was using her as a prop while pretending to need help.

Chris had his arm around Sky’s waist, keeping him steady. Sky wasn’t exactly completely drunk, but he’d definitely had more than usual, and his thoughts felt pleasantly fuzzy around the edges.

Henry was still rambling. "He followed me back! Felix Hartley followed me back on social media! And then he texted me first! He said ’hi’! Just ’hi’ but he said it first! I’m going to screenshot it and frame it. I’m serious. I’m going to print it and frame it and—"

"SHHHH!" Wilson hissed loudly, which rather defeated the purpose. "The elders are sleeping!"

"Why are you in charge when Chris is literally family?" Mei asked, swaying slightly as she walked, being supported by Rain. Or maybe she was supporting Rain. No one knew.

Chris honestly had no answer to that question. It was just the way things were. He didn’t like to plan or organize things. Thankfully, he always had Wilson.

"Because I’m even more familyer than Chris to this family," Wilson declared with utmost seriousness.

Jack snorted. "Familyer." The way he said it made it sound absurd.

Wilson started laughing. Jack joined him. Then Noel was laughing for no apparent reason except that others were laughing. Sky found himself giggling too, the whole situation suddenly hilarious because they were all high.

Chris just shook his head, herding them all like cats.

Eventually, Wilson stopped at a hallway intersection and started assigning rooms with the authority of someone who absolutely should not be in charge.

"Okay, okay, listen up," he said, trying to sound official and failing. "There’s not enough rooms, so we need to pair up smartly. Chris and Sky, you two share." He winked so unsubtly it was practically a muscle spasm. "To save space. Very economical. I’m a genius." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Chris rolled his eyes but didn’t protest.

"I’ll share with Jack," Wilson continued. "Henry and Noel, you’re together. Wait... or are we supposed to make Henry and Mei share? You know... the gay and lesbian?" He started laughing crazily, making Chris facepalm.

"You’re an idiot," Jack muttered.

"Okay, whatever. And the three ladies get the big room at the end. It’s huge! Trust me!" Wilson assured them.

Before they all separated to their assigned rooms, Wilson pulled Chris aside and whispered, except it was the kind of whisper that everyone could hear. "I kept something for you in your room. You’re well-come." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Jack snorted again, and Wilson grabbed his arm, both of them dissolving into laughter as they stumbled down the hallway.

The chaos gradually filtered into order as everyone found their rooms. Doors closed. Giggles faded.

Chris led Sky into his bedroom. The same one they’d been in just before.

"Why did you drink so much?" Chris asked, helping Sky sit on the bed.

Sky blinked. "I didn’t know I did."

He felt more clearheaded now, away from the noise and lights. Not drunk, exactly. Just looser. Less filtered.

Sky looked up at Chris, and suddenly the question burst out before he could stop it. "Did you know Vale likes... no, not likes. Obsessed. Vale is obsessed with Cory."

Chris paused in the middle of pulling off his lace blazer, then sighed.

The sigh told Sky Chris had been concerned about that too.

Chris settled himself down beside Sky. "I don’t... understand why Cory attracts these intense people."

Sky frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The Cowling guy. Kai," Chris said, and something in his voice suggested this was a story. "I don’t know all the details because Cory doesn’t talk about it. But Kai was a thorn in Cory’s side since they were kids. The guy was... messy. And he seemed to have this intense focus that was only for Cory. I didn’t even know whether to describe it as bullying. It was just... mad."

Sky was fully invested now.

"Fortunately, he got shipped out of the country. Hasn’t been back in like five or six years." Chris frowned, trying to remember.

"Shipped out?" Sky asked. He looked like he was struggling to make his drunk brain make sense of it.

"I think his family couldn’t handle him either. I mean, if not for him, Cory and I wouldn’t have this kind of relationship. Well, we aren’t exactly close, but we never would have even been this... ’I will visit you at the hospital if you are sick’ close if not for Kai. I got to know about him a bit back then, but Cory didn’t want me to say a word to anyone. I don’t know what he was thinking." He paused and looked at Sky. "Kai was... dangerous."

"How dangerous are we talking?" Sky asked quietly.

"He broke the hand of a boy who had bullied Cory, saying he was the only one permitted to make Cory cry."

"W-wow," Sky whispered.

"Yeah." Chris looked troubled. "And the really fucked up part? I don’t understand how Cory can still have a crush on Kai’s twin sister. Especially since their families hate each other." He sighed deeply. "How he could even think of still being in Kai’s space even if the boy is away, I don’t understand it."

Sky processed this. "So Cory is surrounded by people who are weirdly obsessed with him and he doesn’t even realize it."

Sky summarized.