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Once A Thief	By : Kali Category: Beyblade > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 9119 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Kali notes: Make that 4 entire chapters. *sweatdrops* I guess I had more to say than I�d
anticipated. And so
the drama continues�

Disclaimer: Kali & muses do not own Beyblade.
We mourn. We do, however, own all OCs appearing in this fic.

Warnings: Yaoi (means lemons, people � unless you�re on ffnet; then you get shounen-ai), language, dramatic angst, and other adult
content. Don�t like it, don�t read it! This chapter: yet more dramatic TyKa
angst.

Pairing: TyKa; others include Tala/Hilary, Rei/Mariah

~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 04: To Catch A Thief �
Part III

Kai
rolled over and curled around the warm body next to him in the bed, on pure
instinct. He was floating in that hazy,
dream-like state between wakefulness and unconsciousness, and he didn�t quite remember where he was or the fact that his
lover was snuggled up next to him. Yet somehow Kai subconsciously knew the person was Takao. Funny how even time and distance couldn�t change some things.

He
buried his face in Takao�s hair with a content little sigh and slowly drifted
away again � which was good, because his face was beginning to throb where
Takao had punched him yesterday.

Takao,
on the other hand, was very much awake.
He stared off toward the far wall at the beginnings of another day. Light began to illuminate the bedroom, even
through the curtains. When he felt Kai
shift beside him, he smiled faintly and let the older man spoon against him
from behind, an arm lazily tossed over his waist and a leg trucked between his
own. He felt Kai�s breath rustle his
hair faintly, a slow and steady rhythm of breathing,
and Takao closed his eyes again with a tiny purr of sound. He�d wanted nothing
more than this for years.

Some
time later, a door opening and closing loudly from somewhere in the studio woke
them up again. Kai heard a familiar,
aggravated voice yell, �Hiwatari! Get
your ass out of bed and get out here!� in Russian, and he snarled something unfriendly
in reply, huddling further under the covers and around Takao.

The bluenette
chuckled huskily, voice rough with sleep.
�You�d better go out there, Kai, before he comes in here.� He turned over and gave Kai a soft, lingering
kiss. �Hmm�I�ll wait right here.�

�Fine.� Kai sighed
and stole one more kiss before rolling out of bed and away from
temptation. �Help yourself to anything
you need, Takao. I�ll be right
back.� He stated, stalking out of the
bedroom after pulling on an old, faded blue tank-top.

Out
in the living area, Tala stood at the sliding glass doors that led out to a
balcony, staring out at the street below and tapping his fingers impatiently on
the doorframe. He�d
spotted the shirts tossed haphazardly here and there, the jacket and motorcycle
helmet in the closet, and the unfamiliar pair of running shoes at the
door. While intrigued and semi-satisfied
that Kai apparently had found someone to play with last night, the redhead was
still incensed at being abandoned, and fully intended
to yell at his partner for it.

Then,
too, there was a familiar scent in the air, and it was beginning to bother him
because he couldn�t quite place it. He felt he should know it but for some reason
he couldn�t remember what or who it belonged to.

Tala
turned away from the window and gave his dual-haired partner a hard glare as he
strode into the wide open room. �You�d better have a damned good reason for
disappearing last night, Hiwatari.�

�What
are you? My mother? Lay off, Ivanov.� Kai growled back, moving to the kitchen and
grabbing the coffee tin from the fridge.
He went to the coffee machine and flipped open the lid to dump coffee
into the filter.

�Oh no. No way.� Tala
followed him and sat at the island counter, arms folded over his chest. �I may have let it slide if you hadn�t a)
promised me you would go out for some fun, b) let me know you were leaving at
least, and c) left your wallet, badge, and cell phone behind along with your
jacket! You�re damned lucky someone
didn�t run off with it all � which I rescued and left over there on the
bench.� Tala pointed toward the shoe
bench near the door. �So start
explaining.�

�I�m
sorry, okay?� Kai made a face and poured
water into the coffee maker before pressing the �brew� button. �I had to leave quickly or I�d have lost him. Again.�

�Wait�lost
who?� Tala raised an eyebrow at the
small smile that was on Kai�s face as he turned and leaned against the counter
to wait for the coffee. �Who�d you bring
home with you last night, Kai?�

Kai�s
entire expression softened and he looked in the direction of the hallway to the
bedrooms. Tala�s
eyes widened at the look, having very rarely seen such emotion from his friend
and partner.

�Kai?�

�I
found him, Tal.
He was in that pub last night. I
don�t know why or how, but I heard his voice through all the noise and he was
�just there.� Kai glanced back at the redhead with a
grin. �He was less than thrilled to see
me, of course.� He pointed at the bruise
on his cheekbone and the beginnings of black eye.

Tala�s jaw dropped open in shock and he stared at Kai for a
full minute in silence. �Wait a
minute�you�re telling me, after ten years
of searching for the guy, you just happened
to hear his voice over a lot of
others in a crowded pub? And then��

�He
was leaving. I chased after him and
caught up to him down the street.� Kai couldn�t help snickering.
�We had a moment, and then he punched me.�

�You�re
the only person I know who would laugh about being punched.� Tala sweatdropped
and blinked. �How did he manage
to actually hit you anyway? Even I have a
hard time doing that.�

�He�s
just that fast. He�s like leashed
lightning, Tal.�
Kai walked over to the shoe bench and picked up his jacket, pulling out
his wallet, badge, and cell phone before returning to the kitchen. Leaving his wallet and badge on the island
counter, he opened his cell to check for missed calls.

Tala
hummed thoughtfully. �I�m interested in
meeting him, Kai. Why don�t you trot him
on out here and introduce him?� He got
of his chair and went to rummage around for food. �And, damn it, we have no food.�

�We�ve
only been here for two days.� Kai
pointed out, not looking up from his phone.
�Take some money and go across the street for something from that
bakery.� He shoved his wallet across the
counter at Tala. �Here.�

Grumbling,
Tala took out a couple ₤10 notes and got up. �You�re just trying to get rid of me. Why don�t you want me to meet him?�

�No,
I�m not. And I do.� Kai closed his phone and stretched out the
kink in his shoulder absently. �Eventually. Give us
a chance to wake up, would you?�

�Yeah, yeah. Alright. But when I
get back�� Tala put on his shoes and
opened the door.

Kai
ignored him, walking off down the hall to return to his lover.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Takao
lay in bed for a while after Kai left, his mind a chaotic whirl of
thoughts. There were things he wanted � needed � to say to the older man, things
about what had happened in his life since Kai had disappeared, things about his
life now. He hoped Kai would listen and
understand � maybe he�d even be able to help the
bluenette somehow.

Still,
Takao decided, he would deal with it when it came up. For now he would
take it one step at a time. He needed to
call Kenny as soon as possible (since he�d forgotten
last night and the brunette was probably freaking out by now), and then he
needed to call Max. There was one last
person he had to contact, but right then�he didn�t
want to think about it.

Yawning,
Takao rolled out of bed and sniffed the air.
The wonderful aroma of coffee had spread through the studio, and it made
his stomach grumble hungrily. With a
smile, the bluenette went into the bathroom and decided a shower was just the
thing he needed � especially if Kai came back soon and joined him.

After using the facilities, the bluenette eyed the ridiculously
large shower and thought, why not?
Reaching in he turned the water on and backed out to take off his
boxers, leaving them on the floor. He
stretched a bit, finger combing his hair a little to get out the worst of the
tangles, and turned to grab a towel. As
he did, he came face to face with his crimson-eyed lover, who was standing just
behind him with his arms over his chest and one hip leaning against the
sink-counter.

�Ah! God, Kai!
Next time stamp your feet or something !� Takao laid a hand over his pounding heart
from the start he�d gotten.

�Sorry.� Kai said unapologetically, smiling. He unabashedly let his gaze sweep lazily and
appreciatively down Takao�s lean, muscular form then back up again after noting
away the few changes here and there as he licked his
lips. Takao blinked, looking down at
himself, then abruptly raising his head again with a
bright pink blush staining his face and neck.

�And
cut that out.� He grumbled, turning
around walking back to the shower � much to Kai�s delight. One of his favourite features on the
bluenette had always been the tight, rounded, sexy backside and the view it
presented. Kai felt his fingers twitch
involuntarily at the need to grab, grope, and squeeze.

�I
haven�t done anything yet.� He replied huskily,
straightening.

�Quit
staring at my ass, lover, and get undressed.�
Takao couldn�t help snickering � and he
couldn�t help the little, seductive wiggle of hips put into his step as he
walked under the spray of water and let it soak him completely.

Kai
had never taken his clothes off so fast in his life.

Takao
sighed happily when Kai�s arms curled around him from behind and pulled him
back against Kai�s chest. He leaned into
the older man contentedly and tilted his head back to rest it on Kai�s shoulder,
reaching up with one hand to stroke Kai�s cheek. Kai smiled, nuzzling his hand for a moment, then kissed Takao softly.

�I
smelled coffee earlier.� Takao said
after they�d stopped kissing. �Did your partner make it?�

Kai hook his head and proceeded to pour out some shampoo into his
palm. �No, I did. By the time we�re out of here, Tala will be
back with breakfast.� He lathered up his
hair then rinsed it out.

The
bluenette felt his stomach gurgle at the promise of food and grinned. �Great! I�m starved.�
Takao exclaimed, taking the shampoo bottle from Kai and used it on his
own hair. After a moment of
companionable silence, Takao looked down at the shower floor briefly
before he broke it. �Hey,
Kai?�

�Hn?� The dual-haired man glanced at him and heard
the sombre, serious tone of Takao�s voice.

�There�s
just so much I want to tell you!� Takao
blurted, meeting Kai�s curious gaze.
�I�so much has happened, and��

�Taka.� Kai lay both
hands on his shoulders and squeezed, that one word halting the flood of words
that Takao had been about to let out. �I
know. We both have so much to talk
about, and we will.�

Takao
nodded, wiping the water out of his face that dripped down out of his
hair. �Okay. I just�I know.� He finished lamely.

�Good. Let�s finish up here and go get some of that
coffee and whatever Tala brought back for breakfast.�

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kai
managed to find a hairbrush and tie for Takao to borrow and left him to deal
with the messy tangle of his midnight blue locks. He�d also lent the
bluenette a spare set of clothes � nothing too fancy or anything, just
something he could wear to get back to his hotel and his own things.

He
wandered back out to the kitchen and plucked the croissant Tala had just picked
out of an open pastry box right out of his partner�s hand before he could take
a bite.

�Hey!� The redhead growled, reaching for
another. �Get your own.�

�Technically,
they all are, since my money paid for them.�
Kai smirked and poured two mugs of coffee. �But thanks for being a good little wolf and
fetching them.�

�You
are such an asshole, you know that?�
Tala scowled darkly at him.

Kai
shrugged and picked up his cell phone again.
�You were expecting me to change suddenly?�

�No. Just commenting.�

�Whatever. I�d better call Mother back or she�ll phone
me every five minutes for the rest of the day.�
Kai polished off his croissant, swallowed, and dialled his mother�s cell
number just as Takao finally sauntered in.

�Oh! Pastries!� He grinned and walked up beside Kai,
playfully hip-checking him to one side. �You really do love me!�

�And
I know where I rank � right after food.�
Kai rolled his eyes and gave the bluenette a swat on the butt. �Shut up and help yourself,
Kinomiya�� he said, his attention returning to the phone in his hand. �Hello, Mother. I got your message.� He said into the cell and turned away,
leaning against the kitchen counter as he talked to his mother. �No, I wasn�t talking to Ivanov. Yes, he�s here, too.�

�Hi, Mom!� Tala
called loudly with a snicker. He�d �adopted� Kais mother (so to speak) as his own sometime
ago, not long after he�d met his partner at the Academy. Tala was the only one she tolerated calling
her �mom;� to Kai�s confusion, she found it endearing coming from Tala.

�She
says hi, and when are you coming to visit her again?� Kai relayed.
The redhead grinned.

�As soon as I can.�

�Yes,
Mother. No, work�s
still going nowhere. We have no
leads. We�re
working on it. Uh huh. Yes, we�ll do that
before we leave London. Alright. Oh, I have some news for you.� Kai said looking straight at Takao and
smiling slightly. Takao blushed and
concentrated on his croissant and coffee.
�I finally found Takao. No, it
was pure coincidence. I ran into him �
kind of � at the pub Tala and I went to last night. We�re�working things out.�

At that Takao reached out and grasped Kai�s free hand, letting
him thread their fingers together. Tala wasn�t really paying attention to the conversation anymore �
not about that anyway. He�d caught Takao�s
scent and was frowning into his coffee mug trying to remember why it seemed so
familiar.

�As
soon as we can work something, I promise I�ll bring him to meet you and
Father.� Kai was saying. Then he stopped and looked at his phone
incredulously for a second before holding it back up to his ear and inquiring
in mild shock, �Mother are you crying?�
He sighed and squeezed Takao�s hand.
�Well, stop worrying, okay? Alright. I�ll talk to you when I get back to Paris.
Yeah. Ciao.� He flipped the cell
closed.

Takao
smiled faintly and moved close enough to wrap an arm around Kai�s waist. Kai hugged him to his side with an arm draped
around his shoulders and accepted the silent comfort wordlessly.

�So,
Hiwatari...� Tala sipped his coffee idly, hiding the smirk behind the mug in
his hands. He�d
never seen this soft side of his partner before and it was vastly amusing. He studied the pair with bright, icy blue
eyes that laughed silently as they pulled apart and tried acting like they weren�t a couple.
�Are you going to introduce the elusive Kinomiya?�

Kai
shrugged and indicated his partner with a wave of his hand. �Kinomiya Takao, meet Tala Ivanov, my interfering wolf of a partner.�

The
bluenette looked Tala over curiously, stepping forward and holding out a
hand. �Hi.� He greeted the redhead, shaking his hand for
a brief moment firmly. �Wolf?�

Tala
shrugged. �Somewhere one got caught up
in the family tree.� He set his mug down
and reached for another croissant. �It�s
a pleasure to finally meet you. I�ve
heard so much about you��

Kai
gave him a warning glare, which Tala ignored.

�Really?� Takao
glanced at his lover with a wry grin.
�Sounds like you and I should have a talk about that.�

Coughing
slightly when he choked on his coffee, Kai interrupted and nudged Takao in the
ribs. �Enough. One of you picking on me all the time I bad enough, thanks.
Don�t you have phone calls and travel arrangements to make, Ivanov?�

�Travel
arrangements?� Takao turned and looked
up only slightly into Kai�s burning eyes.

�Yeah.� The older man
didn�t try hiding his disappointment and reluctance to
go anywhere. He folded his arms over his chest and
sighed. �We�ve got to get back to Paris.

Tala
yawned and stretched, rubbing the back of his neck absently. �The UNA never rests while crimes are being
committed.� He mused.

Takao
blinked, his blood running cold. �The UNA? As in the United Nations Authority?� He managed to inquire in a steady voice. �Wow, Kai.
That�s�impressive.� He finished
lamely. Kai didn�t
notice, however.

�I
guess. They let us be as self-governed
as we want in a way most law enforcement agencies wouldn�t. It suits me to be a good guy this way,
without forcing me to comply to other people�s rules
and regulations.�

Takao
chuckled a little in agreement. It was true, after all, that Kai was a fiery, free spirit. It was then he noticed Kai�s wallet and ID
lying on the counter in plain view, his badge glinting in the light and the
bluenette silently cursed himself for being so
unobservant.

Tala�s own smile was all teeth. �Same for me. We wolves have a way of thinking and my
viewpoint meshes well with the UNA. So
what is it you do, Kinomiya?�

�Uh�well��
Takao thought quickly. The truth � so far as it went � still seemed the best course he could
take. �I�m an antique and art
dealer. I run a shop with an old friend
from high school.� In an effort to move
the focus away from himself � at least until he had an opportunity to sit down
and have a long talk with Kai � he asked, �What are you working on at the
UNA? If you can tell me, I mean.�

Kai
shrugged, taking their empty mugs to the sink to wash them. �I can�t give details of course, but we�re
after a thief.�

Takao
swallowed, his eyes involuntarily widening as panic, despair, and fear gripped
his heart and nearly stopped it from beating.
�A thief?�
He repeated numbly. �What�d the
guy or girl steal? The
Crown Jewels of England?� He tried joking.

Tala
looked at him sharply, sensing a change in Takao�s scent that fairly screamed
fear. He watched him with hidden
suspicion as an unhappy, unwanted possibility began to form in his mind.

Kai,
however, still managed to be oblivious.
�No. At least
no that we�ve been told.� He
laughed, setting the clean mugs aside and getting a towel to dry them. �We�ve been chasing the thief all over Europe for months.
He or she has stolen all kinds of things.�

Takao
made a noise that was meant to be a show of interest but he couldn�t
speak. His mind was a whirl of chaotic
thought and emotion as he fought not to bolt for the nearest exit and just
run. How
can I have been so fucking unlucky? What
did I did to deserve this torture? Kami-sama, how am I
going to get out of this? There�s just�I have too much to lose� His wild, panicky mental tirade froze at the
sudden, startled exclamation that came from Tala just then. He met the wolf�s chilly, now deadly winter
gaze and went cold all over, through and through.

�That�s
it! I can�t believe it didn�t register
before.� Tala stood and stalked around
the counter, stopping just in front of Takao and staring down at him in a way
that Takao could only describe as threatening.
He felt like a cornered rabbit.
�It�s you. You left no other
hints or clues behind but you couldn�t hide your scent. Not well enough.�

Kai
carefully put the mug he�d been drying aside and
dropped the towel beside the sink. �Ivanov�� He warned, thinking his partner must be seeing
things � or in this case, selling things.

�It�s
him, Kai.� Tala insisted sharply, never
taking his gaze off Takao. �We have our
thief.�

�You�ve
got to be kidding me. I think all that
dust from the museum has messed up
your nose.� Kai refused to believe it,
denying it adamantly. He looked at the
bluenette and continued, �Takao�s no thief.
�He would never��

�Kai.� Takao
interrupted, halting the words that were like iron fists to his conscious and
his heart. �There is an
explanation. I wouldn�t have�you know I
wouldn�t do something like this without a damn good reason.� He closed his eyes and his hands clenched
into fists at his sides. He began to
tremble visibly at the disbelieving shock that began to cover Kai�s expression
and the way his face went pale. �I�m
sorry. This was not how I wanted to tell
you. It�s part
of what I was needing to tell you about � I was going to tell you��

�No. You can�t�I don�t�Taka?� The bluenette flinched at the softness of
Kai�s unbelieving voice. Then a memory
hit Kai, a clear one of the day he�d first learned
Takao was more interested in guys than girls.
�Oh god�� he whispered, staring at the younger man in the beginnings of
resigned belief. �The locker room�you
had no key but you got into your locker anyway��

Takao
hung his head and looked away, a tear slipping out and trickling down his cheek. �Yes.
I�ve always had a way with locks.�
He said in an aching voice. Kai
made a strange noise and brushed past Tala, radiating hurt, anger, and
confusion in waves as he hurried past the living room area and out onto the
studio�s balcony, where he leaned against the metal railing he gripped so
tightly his knuckles went white, and breathed in gulps of air.

Tala
kicked a cupboard door and Takao jumped at the noise, shivering and crying
silently.

�This
is just great. Why oh why did it have to
be you?� He glared at the obviously
upset bluenette angrily. �I suppose I
should be ecstatic that you�ve been dropped into our laps like this but somehow
I find I am less than overjoyed.�

�Please,
Tala, I�I have an explanation, and I will tell you everything, I promise, but��

�Oh,
you�re damned right you�ll tell all, Kinomiya.
You�ve had us on a wild goose chase for far too long now.� Tala growled, glancing in the direction of
the balcony. Takao got the impression he
wasn�t just talking about his recent�activities with
that statement, and his already guilty conscious threatened to drown him.

�I
know. But
please just listen. I�I need help.� Takao hesitated for a moment when Tala looked
back at him with a fierce growl. He
hurriedly kept talking, hoping the redhead would be able to sense he was
telling the truth. �I�m being
blackmailed into the thefts. I�d
never�my father and brother are in his custody and if I don�t steal the items
on the list he�s given me he said he would kill them!�

Tala�s eyes narrowed and he leaned closer, an edge to his
voice as he spoke quietly. �Is that
so? And do you have any proof of this?�

�Like
what?� Takao replied bitterly, giving
him a pleading look for understanding.
�Other than the fact that my Dad and Hiro are
missing, and the list I was given via an untraceable email, no! Of course I don�t!�

�Right. I think you�re going to need a lawyer, Kinomiya. In fact, I think you�re going to need a whole
team of them.� Tala turned and went to
the coat closet to get his jacket � and the handcuffs from the inside
pocket. �You�re under arrest, Kinomiya
Takao, on fourteen counts of international grand theft, as well as several
other lesser charges that will be described for you in detail when you arrive
with us at UNA Paris for further questioning.
You have the right to an attorney��

Takao
pressed back against the counter and hid his hands and wrists behind his back,
shaking his head furiously. �You don�t
understand!� He exclaimed. �They have someone following me and watching my
every move to make sure I�m doing as I�m told!
I may have all the items safe and secure and out of that bastard�s
reach, but he�s still got my father�s and brother�s lives in his greedy little
hands!� His chest was heaving with
emotion as he tried valiantly to make Tala believe him. �I�m willing to go with you and�Kai wherever
you want and I�ll tell you everything
but if I walk out of here it has to look like it�s under my own will and I will
have to contact�my �employer.�� Takao
spat the description out distastefully.
Tala played with the handcuffs absently as he considered the situation.

As
much as he hated it, and as much as he would rather
have been furious and cold toward the bluenette � for Kai�s sake � he found he
just couldn�t. His initial temper was
dying away, and from Takao�s scent, he could tell the anguished man wasn�t lying.

�Then
I hope you have some sort of proof you�re being followed.� Tala finally said, stuffing the cuffs into
his pants� pocket.

�I
assume this place has security cameras all over?� Takao felt the panic loosen in his chest a
little, though his stomach still burned fiercely. He put a hand to his abdomen and rubbed
absently. �Surely they would have picked
the guy up when I came here with Kai last night.�

The
redhead tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the counter. �Alright. That�s a reasonable
idea to check on. However, I�m not
leaving you up here where you can possibly sneak off and disappear.�

Takao
growled a few choice words in Japanese before snarling, �Damn it! I�m not going anywhere!�

�That�s
right. You�re not.� Kai said in a dull, neutral tone. Neither had heard him come back inside. Takao looked
at him, not sure what to say or do. He opened
his mouth to say�something, but snapped it shut again when he saw the carefully
blank, thin expression fixed on his sharply chiselled, handsome face. Instead he looked
away in shame and despair.

�What,
you�re going to stay here and watch him?�
Tala sighed, studying his partner carefully. �I�m not sure that�s a good��

�Just
go, Ivanov.
He�s a thief, not a liar.� Kai
cut the redhead off, fixing his gaze on his lover. �At least he�d better not be, because I think
he remembers how I feel about lies and deceit.�

Takao
closed his eyes and tears seeped out, trickling down his cheeks. �I swear I�m telling the truth.� He whispered in a hoarse voice.

Left
with no other real ideas on what to do with the whole mess of a situation, Tala
did the only thing he could. He gave Kai
a brief nod and turned, heading for the door to go down to security and take a look at the tapes for the previous night.

The
silence left behind was deafening.

Wanting
nothing more than to curl into a ball on the floor and die, the bluenette stood
there in the kitchen dejectedly without a word, hands hanging limply at his
sides, shoulders slumped in defeat, and head bowed as he stared at a spot on
the floor.

A
pair of blazing crimson eyes stared at him with an unwavering intensity he
could feel. Kai was still fighting to
control his temper and the sense of betrayal and shock he was still
experiencing upon learning of Takao�s side job.

Several
minutes passed. And
when the heavy, stiff silence was finally shattered, Takao jumped nervously and
cringed away from his lover.

�Why? Tell me why,
Kinomiya.� Kai demanded harshly. He brought his fist down on the counter with
a loud bang in frustration.

�To save my Dad and Hiro.� Takao answered softly, still not looking at
Kai. He didn�t
want to see the hate, the hurt, or the anger he knew was burning in those
eyes. �It�s a very long story. I will tell it all, Hiwatari, when we get
wherever it is you�re taking me.�

�Paris. Our Director will want to talk to you.� Kai scowled, moving around the counter and
coming to a stop directly in front of Takao.
�Damn it, Kinomiya! I don�t understand! I know you! You would never do any of this! You�re values and morality
are quiet possibly set higher than mine are!�

�Then
please give me a chance, Kai!� Takao pleaded, finally meeting his gaze. �Let me do this my way and continue trusting
me as you always have.�

�At
least tell me what you�ve done with everything you stole.� Kai planted his hands on either side of the
slightly shorter man on the counter, effectively trapping him there. Takao swallowed and gave up trying not to
tremble and shake anymore. His ulcer was
really beginning to burn, and all the tension in his body
wasn�t helping.

�It�s
all together, in a storage facility I rent.
It�s safe, and I can guarantee no one is getting into that room to get
at the items.� He licked his dry lips
anxiously. �Kai��

�Where?�

�I
can�t tell you. Not even you. And even if I did, you couldn�t get in.� Takao�s blue-grey eyes narrowed stubbornly. �Those items are my only insurance, Kai. They are the only thing I have to protect Dad
and Hiro.� His
eyes flicked to the cell phone Kai had left on the counter. �Do I get to phone my lawyer?�

Kai
stiffened, finding that he was extremely hurt by that
request. �You don�t trust me at
all? You think I�m
just going to throw you in prison and never look back? Not give you the benefit of the doubt?�

�That�s
not what I said. Kami-sama!� Takao glared, having regained some of his
inner strength and will at the prospect of a good argument with his former
boyfriend again. �I�m not stupid, baka. Whatever is left between you and I on a
personal level, Hiwatari, I am still a thief who has been caught by the legal
authorities � you. I have the right to a
lawyer � especially when he can also be considered a witness to everything I
will eventually tell you!�

�Witness? More like
accessory to the crimes � all fourteen counts of it � and that�s just for
starters.� Kai growled back. Takao straightened, standing toe-to-toe with
the older man now. �Don�t forget the
breaking and entering, damage to private property��

�Don�t
you think I know what fucking laws
I�ve broken?!�
The bluenette snarled, getting into Kai�s face. �I�ve given up everything, Hiwatari! Every bloody, goddamned
piece of my life and my honour! Just so my family can have their lives and home back!�

Having
no real answer to that, Kai wordlessly backed off and grabbed his cell phone, tossing
it at the furious bluenette and stalking toward the balcony again. As chaotic as his emotions were right then,
he hoped Takao could see and understand what he was trying to convey with the
gesture. He was giving him a chance.

Fuming,
Takao stared at the cell phone, then glanced at the
open balcony doors. He felt his temper
slowly draining away as he watched the muscles in Kai�s back, shoulders, and
arms tense when he gripped the railing so hard it was a wonder he didn�t crush it. One crisis at a time, Takao. One day at a time.
He reminded himself, looking away and flipping open the cell and
dialling a number he knew by heart.

It
rang twice before someone answered on the other end. Takao listened to the greeting and replied in
a sad, somewhat lost voice.

�Hello. Is Kenny still working tonight?�

****************

Kali Notes: Well. That
was interesting. I apologize for the
late update. I�ve
had a bad week. Anyway, I know you�re all chomping at the bit to know what the heck is
going on, so I�ll try and get the next instalment out soon. Please R/R!!!!

Dryad: And now a
word to our reviewers:

TechnoRanma � You betcha! *grins* Was
it really romantic? I wasn�t
really sure�

Blackrose � *sweatdrops* Well, I didn�t quite get to the whole story
this chapter, but that�s coming! Soon!

studio � *blushes* Clever?
I don�t really think so. You can congratulate my muses for that.

icestar � *waves* Thank you!

lo � I rather liked it, too.
(Dryad: It�s so sweet my teeth are aching. *flashes fangs*)

silverfox � Thank you!

XZanayu � Emotional�just what I was aiming for.

Hannah � Aww�yeah, sorry about the lack of lemon. I have an idea for their first
time in this fic, and this wasn�t
the time for it.

phoenixandashes � lol
Yes, Kai is somewhat possessive isn�t he?

luvyagal � Nope. No
lemon quite yet. And never on ffnet. But
elsewhere�eventually.

NekoAnime � O_O *falls over* Eep! *gets
back up* Ah, well, I didn�t want to
make Voltaire evil, per say (as in �taking over the world� or �abusive� evil)
just a hard-to-deal-with, stuck-in-another-century type of guy. Patriarchal. You can find Tala in my fics
Majesty and Have You Ever, as well as some of my seasonals/one-shots/mini-fics,
all found on the links in my bio or at my MSN space.

Destruction Devil � Ah� *dumps bucket of cold water
on DD* Man,
you�re probably not going to like me so much after this chapter�

Kaay-chan � The rest of the tale coming soon! Keep reading�

serena429 � Thanks! Updating!
*goes
off to work on another one*

Ereshkigali � Worship?!
O_O Well,
I don�t know about that� lol Devious?
Actually, I kinda
like that�

xXxAngel VxXx
� lol! At
least it�s a smile and not a frown!

Jani Rieme � Oh heck no! Eh heh� *blushes* I�m no comedian. But thanks!

SnakeMistress � Kai? Well, he�s
not the most understanding of people sometimes, I suppose.

FirieGurl � Yep. It was.
Maybe it was a little too obvious�
Which fic were you wondering about?

Two toned nails � I had two separate lines of thought on that. I still haven�t
decided exactly which way it�s going to go.

guns'n�handcuffs � *bows apologetically* I know! I�m really sorry
about that�

HeylinMinion � Yeah, I�m not so fond of the overly sweet
fluff either. *winks* I
usually have back-stories for everything all in my head when I start. It�s how I build my
plots.

Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing! Much appreciated! *hands
out Draciel statues*
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Once A Thief