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Have You Ever	By : Kali Category: Beyblade > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 11977 -:- 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
- 1
- 2
Authoress�
Notes: Since people seemed to like this one so much
on ff.net and at the groups, I figure I�ll post it again here at nFiction�in
not so little installments. *sweatdrops* I�d advise people not to read this without A
LOT of time on your hands�

Disclaimer:
I don�t own Beyblade. Much to my
disappointment.

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

Warnings: Yaoi, Lemon(s), language, angst, violence,
etc. Rated R � NC-17. Chapter 5=Lemon!

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

Pairs: TyKa, Rei/ ??, others to be decided.

Authoress�
Notes: In my utopian universe, this fic is
pre-V-Force/G-Revolution. However,
don�t be surprised if any V-Force characters show up in this fic. This is a Tyson/Kai centered fic. Of course, in case you all haven�t already
noticed, I have a penchant for subplots so expect them. But, well, we�ll see.

FYI:
Kai & Rei = 18 and Tyson, Max, & Kenny = 17 for this fic (except
the prologue).

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HAVE YOU EVER

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

Prologue

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

It was finally over. The World Championships were done and,
thanks to Tyson�s insane victory over Tala, the world was safe from the
Demolition Boys, Biovolt and their masters Boris and Voltaire.

Mr. Dickenson had arranged for Tala
and his teammates to be taken under the BBA�s wing. Those kids still at the abbey would be returned to their
homes. The abbey itself was to be shut
down and destroyed.

As for Boris and Voltaire, they�d
both been arrested. For all the evil,
the pain and suffering they�d caused, they would spend the rest of their lives
in prison, never to see daylight ever again.

It was an exhausted team of boys
that crashed in their hotel room that evening.

An overly protective Max hovered
around Rei, who had been released that same day from the hospital on the
promise that he would get plenty of rest and not bey-battle for a couple weeks.

�I swear, Maxie, you�re like a
mother hen.� Rei chuckled, watching Max
tuck a blanket around Rei�s lap.

�Shut up, Rei. After all you�ve done for us, I couldn�t
just let you suffer more. Besides, the
sooner you heal, the sooner we can battle.�
Max winked at him.

Kai felt a small smile cross his
features at the comment. He looked over
at the couch, where Kenny had curled up and fallen asleep already, Dizzi
clutched protectively against his chest.

One member of the team was
missing. Kai frowned and looked around,
until he spotted a figure out on the balcony, hidden among the shadows. The captain of the Bladebreakers walked out
to join him, closing the balcony door behind him softly.

�You�re going to catch a cold out
here, Tyson.�

All he got was a soft grunt in
reply. Kai raised an eyebrow and
stepped up beside the younger boy, mimicking his stance by leaning against the
rail on his forearms and staring out at the city lights of Moscow. �What�s on your mind?�

Tyson sighed. �It�s nothing. I was just thinking about the battles we�ve all fought to get
here.�

Kai glanced at him. �What about them?�

�When I started blading, it was a
game � a sport. I didn�t understand
that bit-beasts were more than just toys or tools that a blader used to win a
battle. And I certainly never thought
they�d be something that evil people like Voltaire and Boris would use to try
and take over the world.

�Then I met you.� Tyson turned to stare at Kai with deep
midnight blue eyes. �I didn�t have
Dragoon yet when we met for the first time, you know. But from that moment on, everything changed. I got a bit-beast of my very own, I made new
friends, I became part of an awesome team and traveled around the world, and I
learned how to be a true blader. Not to
mention I got mixed up in an evil scheme to take over the world using freaky
mutant bit-beasts to capture our bit-beasts.�

Kai was a bit stunned. He hadn�t really expected such deep,
contemplative thoughts from Tyson of all people. Kai studied him for a moment before asking,
�What happened, Tyson, that you suddenly are contemplating such things?�

Tyson tilted his head in
acknowledgment, a wry grin flashing across his face. �Dragoon happened. Look,
this is just between you and me, ok?
I�m telling you this because I think you�re the only one who�d understand
or even believe me.� He glanced through
the glass balcony doors. �The others
would just laugh or tell me I�m crazy.�

Intrigued, Kai nodded. �I won�t say anything.�

�When I was locked inside that giant
ice cube with Tala�when he attacked me with everything he had�I refused to give
up. But it wasn�t just me. It was Dragoon, too. He shielded me somehow from Tala�s attack
and when the smoke cleared�Kai, he spoke to me.�

Kai blinked. �Tala?�

�No. Dragoon.� Tyson shifted
nervously, watching his captain for any sign of disbelief or ridicule. �He told me that as long as I never gave up,
then neither would he. That as along as
I believed in him, he would never abandon me.�

Kai stared at him, stunned. �Wow.
It�s unheard of for a bit-beast to speak to its owner. That�s�amazing, Tyson.�

�You mean you believe me?�

�Well, yeah. You�re not a liar, Tyson, and why would you
make up something like that anyway?�
Kai shrugged. �Your bond with
Dragoon must be incredibly strong now.�

A vast amount of relief poured
through Tyson and he relaxed. �You have
no idea. It�s like he�s a part of me
that I didn�t even know I had. I feel
him in my head now. It feels�right �
like he belongs there.�

They stood out there in
companionable silence for a while, Tyson yawning every now and then.

�Hey Kai?� Tyson broke the silence first.
�Where will you go now? I mean
do you have any other family that you can go to?�

Kai felt a pang in his chest. He�d been avoiding thinking about that since
he�d stood up to Voltaire and deliberately lost his battle with Spencer. He�d known the possible consequences of his
�betrayal.�

�No. I don�t.� Kai replied,
softly. His face melded into the cold,
familiar, emotionless mask that Tyson had gotten to recognized very well after
all this time.

�Don�t do that, Kai.� He admonished, a little irritated. �Don�t hide your feelings like that. Not from me � or the others. You don�t have to anymore.�

Kai gave him a mild glare. �Tyson��

�Uh huh. I know. Mind my own
business. Well, too bad. You�re my friend and my captain. You are my business now.�

Kai growled and muttered, �Why did I
come back anyway? Whatever possessed me
to return to this team?�

Tyson, un-offended since he knew Kai
didn�t mean it, grinned. �Because you
need us as much as we need you and because you missed us after you left.�

Another growl and Tyson
laughed. �Come on, Kai. It�s only the truth and you know it. Now, let�s go inside. It�s pretty damn cold out here and I�m
beyond exhausted.� He slid open the
door and stepped through, Kai following behind.

Tyson had to smile at the sight that
greeted him. Max had thrown a blanket
over Kenny on the couch, and both he and Rei had already gone to bed. They were curled up together in the middle
of one bed, Rei�s long raven hair spread out behind him and one hand buried in
Max�s blonde hair.

Kai came over to see what Tyson was
snickering at and blinked in surprise.
�Huh. What do you know?�

�Shh!� Tyson smothered a laugh and gently shoved Kai towards the other
bed. �I guess you and I are stuck with
each other tonight. Sorry, Kai. I�ll try not to snore.� Tyson sat on the edge of the bed and pulled
off his socks and his clothes until he wore only his boxers and his T-shirt
before turning off the light.

Kai sat on the edge of the bed on
the other side, also removing his outer clothes, scarf, and his arm
blades. Glad the lights were off so
Tyson couldn�t see the slight blush he was currently wearing, he crawled under
the covers with Tyson and lay on his side, facing away from the young blader.

�Kai?�

�Hmm?�

�I�ll figure out something. Some place for you to go, I mean.�

Kai sighed. �Thank you, Tyson, but don�t worry about
it. I�m perfectly capable of taking
care of myself.�

�I know. I�m still going to help any way.
I�I care about you too much to just abandon you to fend for
yourself.� Tyson whispered.

Kai lay awake for a long time after
that, wondering exactly what Tyson had meant by that statement, when he felt
the bed shift and someone snuggled up against his back. In his sleep, Tyson gravitated towards the
source of warmth next to him and he pressed his face to Kai�s back between his
shoulder blades, one arm snaking around Kai�s waist and hugging him like a
teddy bear.

Muffling a groan, Kai forced himself
to relax and after a moment of hesitation, laid his own arm over Tyson�s around
his waist and laced their fingers together.
Just this once, he decided, he would allow himself the comfort of being
held like that.

Though, just as he began to drift
off, he admitted that had it been anyone but Tyson, he would never have done
so.

Little did he know, Tyson wasn�t as
asleep as he�d believed. Hiding a small
smile, Tyson nuzzled Kai�s back shoulder in contentment before finally dropping
off like a stone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, the Bladebreakers
were awakened by Mr. Dickenson, Gramps, and Mr. Granger. They arrived early bearing breakfast for the
team.

Kai had woken up first, embarrassed
to find his head pillowed on Tyson�s chest and their legs tangled together in
the sheets. He�d managed to untangle
himself without waking up Tyson (who, as usual, slept like the dead) and when
he was sure he wasn�t blushing bright red anymore, went to the door to let the
three adults in.

�Come in. I�ll wake up the others.�

�Thank you, Kai.�

Kai woke up Kenny first, and then
Rei and Max, who were as tangled up together as Kai and Tyson had been (much to
Kai�s amusement). They untangled
themselves and glanced at each other, blushing furiously and casting sheepish
gazes at their captain.

Kai rolled his eyes. �Get up, you two. We�ve got company.� He
walked over to the other bed as Kenny and Max helped Rei to hobble out to the
sitting room to see their guests.

�Tyson!� Kai shook him gently.
�Time to get up, shrimp. Your
father, Gramps, and Mr. Dickenson are here.�
When he got nothing but a sigh in response, and Tyson curled up into a
ball, Kai decided to use a different, guaranteed to work, tactic. �They brought breakfast, Tyson, and it�ll be
all gone if you don�t hurry.� He knelt
on the floor so his face was level with the bed and gave Tyson a hard glare.

Tyson made a sound of annoyance and
opened one, sleepy, midnight blue eye.
He stared directly into Kai�s crimson eyes and smiled. �You�re just saying that to wake me up, aren�t
you?� His voice was husky with sleep.

Kai shivered unconsciously at the
sound and shook his head. �No. They really are here and they really brought
breakfast. Come on, shrimp.� As a last resort, Kai grabbed the bed sheets
and yanked them off Tyson.

Shivering at the sudden blast of
cool air, the slate-black haired boy sat up and stretched lazily. �Alright.
I�m up.� He got up and followed
Kai, yawning widely.

Max, Rei, and Kenny were already
tucking into the huge breakfast. Tyson
dashed for the food and filled his plate with a large stack of pancakes.

�Man, I�m starved. That battle yesterday sure took it out of
me.� He said, before stuffing a forkful
of pancakes into his mouth.

Kai joined them after filling his
own plate. �I�d imagine so, Tyson. It would have taken an amazing amount of
energy to do what you did.�

�Indeed.� Mr. Dickenson agreed.
�You�ve all done a most excellent job, Bladebreakers. I don�t think I�ll ever be able to thank you
enough for what you�ve accomplished.�

�We�re all proud of you boys.� Mr. Granger added. �You�ve certainly earned the Championships.�

Rei pushed aside his empty
plate. �Well, we didn�t get here
alone. I think I speak for all of us
when we say thank you for all each of you has done to help us get this far.� His teammates cheered their agreement.

�It was the least I could do,
Rei. But you�re welcome.� Mr. Dickenson smiled. �Now, Kai?
Have you any thoughts about where you would go now? I�m afraid Voltaire�s property has been
seized and it may be many years before anyone�s allowed to return to any of his
estates.�

Kai closed his eyes and shook his
head.

Tyson, however, had a sudden flash
of inspiration. Casually, he sipped his
cup of tea before aiming a question at his grandpa. �I guess we�ll have to actually clean out that spare room at home
and make it livable, huh, Gramps? Then
we�ll have to get Kai enrolled at school, too.�

The others stared at him, grins
spreading widely. Kai just sat there,
totally stunned, gaping at Tyson.

�Hmm�I guess so, little Dude.� Gramps nodded, winking at his grandson. �Good thing you�ve got lots of time to work
at that.�

�Tyson�you�are you serious?� Kai finally found his voice. �I mean, I appreciate what you�re trying to
do but��

�No buts, Kai. I want you there and I�m sure the guys,
here, do too. Besides, what did we
discuss last night?� Tyson cut him off
and gave him a pointed look, oblivious to the curious questioning gazes of
their teammates.

Kai sighed and nodded his
understanding. �Alright. I accept.�
He gave in graciously, since he didn�t think he had the strength to say
�no� to Tyson anymore.

He was immediately glomped by an
excited Max. �Awesome! It�s going to be so cool having all of us
together!� He looked over at Rei, who
returned the look with a smile.

Kenny adjusted his glasses. �Rei?
Are you thinking of coming home with us, too?�

The neko-jin gave them an angelic
smile, flashing fang. �Yes. Max convinced me that I was needed. And it wasn�t very hard for him to accomplish,
I�ll admit. I would miss you guys too
much if I left.�

Mr. Dickenson clapped his hands
once. �Excellent! Now that all of this is settled, I�m going
to leave you all. I have a lot of
things to take care of.� He stood. �Your plane leaves this afternoon,
kids. Tyson�s dad has your tickets.�

�Goodbye, Mr. D!� Tyson said.

�Thanks again for everything.� Rei waved.

Kai stood and shook the old man�s
hand. �If you need me for anything,
sir, don�t hesitate to call.�

�See you later, Mr. D! Stop by Dad�s shop and visit sometimes!� Max gave him a mild hug (for Max anyway).

Kenny escorted the CEO to the door
and waved goodbye as he walked down the hallway.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The flight home was a vast relief
for them all. As much as they had
enjoyed traveling and seeing so many new places, meeting so many new people,
and making new friends, the Bladebreakers were ready to go home and enjoy what
was left of their summer vacation.

For Kai, it was more of a relief to
be away from Russia, the abbey, and the memories he had had to confront. For the first time in his life, he felt
free.

Kai, Tyson, and Kenny couldn�t help
snickering at Max�s insistence on sitting next to Rei on the plane. This, of course, had Rei blushing slightly �
yet he didn�t protest.

To make things even more
interesting, when they arrived home, Max�s dad was there waiting for them along
with Kenny�s parents. On the plane ride
home, Kenny had offered Rei a place to stay at his home, something that Rei had
gratefully accepted. Kenny�s parents
offered Rei a part time job as well, which he also accepted, to pay them back
for room and board.

His three younger teammates were
insisting that he, too, enroll in school with them. Rei had been very reluctant about that but surrendered when Kai
said bluntly, �If I have to, then so do you, Rei. Besides, there�s no way in hell you�re leaving me alone with
these three all day, every day.� He
jerked a thumb at Tyson, Kenny, and Max, who immediately began protesting. �It�s bad enough that I�m living with Tyson
of all people.�

He had meant it half-seriously,
half-jokingly. Tyson, however, didn�t
know that and found he was rather hurt by Kai�s comment. He didn�t say anything though.

They all went their separate
ways. Max and Rei went home. Kenny, Kai, and Tyson walked out of the
airport to the parking lot ahead of the adults (Kenny�s parents, Gramps and Mr.
Granger) since they were catching a ride back to town with Kenny�s parents.

On the way, Kai leaned back in his
seat and closed his eyes, deciding to doze for the remainder of the trip. Tyson, still mulling over his captain�s
earlier comment, took advantage of the moment, believing Kai to be asleep.

�Hey, Chief?� He asked, quietly, his voice hesitant.

�Yes, Tyson?�

�Am I really so bad? To get along with, I mean.�

Kenny glanced at his friend in
surprise. He didn�t think any comment
of Kai�s would bother the younger blader that much. �No. I don�t think so,
Tyson. I mean, you are extremely
stubborn and sometimes obnoxious and you do have a tendency not to listen when
someone�s trying to tell you something�but that�s just you. If you weren�t that way, you wouldn�t be our
Tyson.� He watched Tyson�s gaze land on
the back of Kai�s head in front of them and his shoulders slumped. �Is this about what Kai said earlier,
Tyson?� Kenny turned in his seat
slightly so he could see his friend without twisting his head halfway
around. �He wasn�t saying it to be mean
and I don�t think he was serious about it.�

�Thanks Chief.� Tyson gave him a tiny smile, though it held
little of his usual spirit. �But he was
right. I�I guess I do get a bit
annoying sometimes. I�m sorry.�

�Tyson�� Kenny protested, a little
worried now. He didn�t understand why
Tyson was so upset. He�d never cared
much what others thought of him before�especially not Kai. Or maybe especially Kai. He wondered to himself.

Tyson didn�t answer. He just turned to stare silently out the
window, lost in his own thoughts.

What he didn�t realize was that Kai
had heard it all. And he was wondering
the exact same thing that Kenny was at that moment.

Why does he care now when he�s
never seemed to give a damn before?

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

~ End of
Prologue ~

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Chapter 1

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

THUD.

Kai cracked an eye open at the sound
of Tyson hitting the floor. When the
soft snores continued without pause, Kai grunted, rolled over, and tried to go
back to sleep. He was used to the
younger blader�s sleeping habits, having shared a room with Tyson over the last
four years.

Unfortunately for Kai, he was awake
now and a quick glance at the alarm clock told him he�d have to get up in an
hour anyway for school. So he lay on
his back, staring up at the ceiling and remembering, with a slight smile, the
first two weeks he�d lived here with Tyson.

~~~~~~[
FLASHBACK]~~~~~~

Kai, Tyson, and Gramps stared at the
mess beyond the open door.

�What is all that?� Kai asked, frowning.

Tyson shuffled his feet, exchanging
a sheepish look with Gramps. �Some of
it is my Dad�s stuff. The rest is just
a lot of junk � mostly my old things, I guess.
Gramps here is sentimental and couldn�t bring himself to throw out a lot
of stuff.�

�I see.�

�I don�t know where we�ll put it
all, little Dude.� Gramps was studying
the pile of boxes and bags, stacks of books and magazines, and the general junk
spread around the room. �It looks as if
Dragoon let loose one of his Phantom Hurricanes in here.�

Tyson snickered. �Now there�s an idea!�

Kai shook his head. �That�d just make more of a mess.�

�True. Uh, maybe we could just move my room around a little and you
could share that with me.� Tyson�s gaze
was apprehensive and a bit wary. �That
is, if you think you can stand me, Kai.
I�ll try really hard not to invade your space, I promise.�

�Oh, I think that�s a good idea,
Tyson-my-man! This disaster�� Gramps
gestured at the room. �Can be our
project for the year. We�ll go through
it all bit-by-bit.�

Kai sighed and shrugged. �I don�t mind, Tyson, if you�re sure
you don�t mind having me there.�

Tyson smiled, his midnight blue eyes
dancing with mirth. �I�m sure. You know, Kai, we do get along pretty well
on occasion. You haven�t killed me in
my sleep yet and I haven�t made a �sourpuss� wisecrack in a really long time.�

Kai bared his teeth at him. �That�s because I�m saving it up.� He poked a finger into Tyson�s chest. �Don�t let your guard down �cause I�ll get
you when you least expect it.�

�Uh huh. Okay, tough guy.�

Neither of them noticed Gramps
watching them and trying really hard not to laugh at their banter.

Tyson dug out the futon and spare
blankets and a pillow for Kai. He
carried them into his room and found his stoic captain sitting on Tyson�s bed
and staring down at his blade. He set
the bedding down and angled his head at Kai curiously.

�What are you doing? Dranzer say something interesting?�

Kai looked up, blinking. �Huh?
Oh.� He sighed and put his blade
back in his pants� pocket. �No. Dranzer hasn�t said a word. I thought�well, it doesn�t matter.�

�So you tried talking to him but he
wouldn�t say anything.� Tyson nodded,
understanding. He flopped down on the
bed next to Kai and pulled out Dragoon.
He studied it. �You know,
Dragoon hasn�t said anything since the Worlds.
Maybe they only speak to us if it�s an emergency.�

Kai plucked it from his hands and
looked down at the blue dragon. �Who
knows what makes a bit-beast do anything?
Biovolt tried to find out, but they weren�t very successful.�

�What about Black Dranzer?�

�Yeah.� Kai frowned, reached into his other pocket, and pulled out a very
familiar black bit.

Tyson couldn�t stop himself from
jumping slightly and moving slightly away from Kai, midnight blue eyes widening
in total shock. �Ack!� He squeaked. �You still have that?!
Kai, are you insane?�

Kai glanced at him, amused. �It�s alright, Tyson. Black Dranzer can�t hurt you.�

�It�s not me I�m worried
about.� Tyson shivered and eyed the bit
and Kai warily. �Not after all I�we
went through to get you back.�

The Phoenix felt a weird tingling
sensation. He was sure Tyson was going
to say Not after all I went through, and mean it. �Don�t worry about me either. This little firebird isn�t so bad. She�s�just a product of her �upbringing.�� Kai closed his fist over the bit. �Like me.�

Tyson reached out and laid his hand
on Kai�s shoulder in concern. There was
that tingling sensation again! �Kai,
that�s not entirely true. But what�s
more, it wasn�t your fault. Stop
beating yourself up for the past, Kai.�

Kai stared at him. �How can you do that?�

�Do what?� Now Tyson was just confused.

�How can you be so forgiving? After all I did�to you, to Max, to Rei, and
Kenny�� Kai obviously still didn�t understand how much he meant to his team,
nor did he quite understand friendship.

�Kai, you made a few mistakes, a few
bad choices. But you also overcame
those problems.� Tyson moved closer and
laid his other hand over Kai�s clenched fist.
�You did the right thing and now you�re free.�

The Phoenix shivered, memories
warring with emotions. �It�s not that
simple.�

Tyson sighed heavily. �No.
It isn�t. But it is a place to
start. I know you don�t understand a
lot, Kai. If you�re willing�� he turned
a little pink. �I�ll help you
learn. Uh�we all will.�

Kai�s crimson orbs burned into
Tyson�s equally intense midnight blue gaze.
�I don�t know if I can.� He
whispered, before moving away and tucking Black Dranzer back into his pocket. He was still uncomfortable with contact with
others, though Max�s exuberant glomping had begun to wear that away. �I don�t know anything anymore.�

Tyson wanted to cry. He wished there was something ore he could
do for his melancholy captain.
Helplessly, he watched Kai go through the motions of unrolling the futon
and setting up the bed.

�I don�t know if I can help you,
Kai, but I promise to try. And I�ll
always be here if you need to talk.�

Kai wouldn�t look at him,
embarrassed for what he perceived as weakness, but managed a quiet, �I
know. Thank you.�

Tyson gave him a sad smile and
glanced at his alarm clock. �Well, I
don�t know about you, but I could use a good night�s sleep.� He yawned widely to emphasize his point and
got up, going to his dresser and pulling out a pair of clean pajamas. �You want the bathroom first?�

Kai glanced up. �No.
I�m fine.�

Tyson nodded and left Kai to his
thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How can he do this to me? I just don�t understand how Tyson can get to
me so easily! Kai pulled off his
shirt and took off his pants, then began digging through his single suitcase of
belongings for something to sleep in. Most
of the time he�s doing his best to annoy me or piss me off. He�s loud and obnoxious, he has a black hole
where his stomach is supposed to be, he has few manners� He grunted to himself as he tugged on a
plain black tank top.

He annoys the hell out of
me. Why can�t I just ignore him like I
can everyone else? Even the rest of the
team I can ignore when I want to � a difficult task but I can do it. But Tyson�Gods I wish I knew why he affects
me so much. Kai crawled under the
blankets of his futon on the floor next to Tyson�s bed. He lay on his side facing away from Tyson�s
bed, and stared at the opposite wall blankly.

I�d stopped feeling anything more
than mild annoyance or amusement a very long time ago. He remembered something from his deepest
buried memories. Huh. That�s right. Back at the abbey, some used to say I was Phoenix trapped in ice
� cold, emotionless, dark. Then I met
Tyson. The idiot actually challenged me
right then and there. Cocky kid.

His thoughts were interrupted when
Tyson reappeared, now dressed in a dark blue T-shirt and his boxers. He was towel drying his hair. He tossed the towel into the laundry basket
next to the door and went to his bed.
�You need the lights, Kai?�

�No.� Kai closed his eyes tightly.

�Okay.� Tyson shut off the lights and slipped into his own bed. He got comfortable, then yawned and said,
�Good night, Kai.� Before promptly
falling asleep.

Kai let out a deep breath and let
himself drift off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tyson rolled over, half-asleep, and
groaned. I guess I shouldn�t have
drank that last three glasses of iced tea before bed. He sat up and, careful not to step on Kai,
got up and went to the bathroom.

When he came back, feeling much
better, he found Kai lying on his side, curled into a ball, sweating profusely
and moaning softly in his sleep. Kai
had kicked off all his blankets and despite the fact that it was a warm
summer�s night and he was sweating, Tyson noticed his captain was shivering.

Hurrying to Kai�s side, Tyson spoke
quietly and shook the Phoenix�s shoulder in an effort to wake him up. �Kai?
Kai, wake up��

He heard Kai mumble something
unintelligible before suddenly sitting up with a choked scream, crimson eyes
flying wide open and staring blankly into space with abject fear. Kai�s breathing was heavy and he was nearly
panting with the effort to take air into his lungs.

�Kai? Hey, it�s okay now. It
was just a nightmare. Do you hear
me?� Kai turned to stare at Tyson and
his eyes widened further (if it was possible).
�It�s just me, Kai. You okay?�

�Tyson?� Kai blinked a couple times, then shocked the hell out of the
dragon by bursting into tears and throwing himself into Tyson�s arms, burying
his tear streaked face into Tyson�s chest, arms banding tightly around his
waist.

Tyson, unable to bear this huge and
sudden wave of emotion from his captain, held on to Kai just as tightly,
sensing the older boy�s need for comfort and reassurance. Nuzzling Kai�s hair with his face and
stroking Kai�s back soothingly, he let Kai get it all out. He knew, somehow, that this was years and
years of bottled up emotions and that the dam had finally burst.

Murmuring softly phrases like, �It�s
okay,� and �Let it all go, Kai,� and �I�m here,� Tyson rocked Kai back and
forth slightly and continued stroking his hair and back until Kai calmed down
and cried himself out. Even then,
however, the Phoenix continued to cling and shiver uncontrollably.

When the tears ran out, Kai could
only release a shuddering sigh and squeeze his eyes tightly shut. Gods.
What�s happening to me? He
wanted to push Tyson away and pretend like this had never happened, but he knew
that was impossible. And now
embarrassment, if not outright humiliation, was settling in. Rather than doing what his brain told him to
do � which was to move away, tell Tyson to go back to sleep and leave him
alone, and return to his cold mask of ice � Kai followed what his heart was
telling him, for once, and stayed right where he was, remaining silent.

�Kai? Do you want to tell me about it?
It may help to talk about the dream.�
Tyson whispered, his warm breath tickling Kai�s ear.

The Phoenix shook his head, but
curled into Tyson more. I�m sorry,
Tyson. But there�s only one thing I
fear most and I will never tell anyone what that is. The dream was just that � a dream. It�s unimportant.

Tyson sighed. �Well, if you�re sure. We should go back to bed, Kai. We need our sleep.� He tried to move away, but the Phoenix
refused to let go. Tyson blinked,
startled when Kai raised wide crimson eyes to meet his dark blue gaze
desperately. The dragon sucked in a
sharp breath. Those flame filled orbs
were brimming over with emotion now.
Tyson saw fear, despair, and a loneliness so vast it broke his heart.

�Don�t leave me! Please, Tyson.� Kai�s voice was barely a whisper and Tyson had to strain to hear
it. �Just for tonight.� He looked down and tightened his arms around
Tyson�s waist. For once, I don�t
care if I�m weak. I just want to be
safe.

�Of course, I�m not going to leave
you, Kai.� Tyson admonished
gently. �Come on. You may as well share my bed with me tonight.� He felt Kai nod against his shoulder and
they stood, moving to the bed. Kai got
in first and Tyson crawled in behind him.

They lay on their sides facing each
other, nearly nose to nose and staring into the other�s eyes. Kai looked for derision, pity, and other
such negative things but could only see concern and a quiet, gentle
understanding. He reached out
hesitantly and grasped Tyson�s hand tightly, their fingers entwining all on
their own.

�Go to sleep, Kai. I�ll keep the bad dreams away.� Tyson smiled at him and Kai couldn�t help
thinking it was one of the most beautiful things he�d ever seen.

Obediently, the distraught Phoenix
closed his eyes with a small sigh and snuggled closer to Tyson, who draped his
free arm around Kai�s waist and held him close.

For the first time in his life, Kai
went to sleep with a feeling of content peacefulness unlike anything he�d ever
experienced before. He was safe, and
for now, that was all that mattered.

~~~~~~[END
FLASHBACK]~~~~~~

Kai stared up at the ceiling with a
slight smile. For the next two weeks
after that first night, the dreams came.
And every night he would end up sleeping with Tyson, wrapped securely in
his arms.

What had surprised him most, Kai
remembered, was that Tyson had never demanded anything from him � no
explanations necessary, he supposed.
And Kai had greatly appreciated it.

He�d appreciated even more that
Tyson never ever mentioned the dreams to anyone � not their friends, not Gramps
or Mr. Dickenson, no one.

With a deep sigh, Kai glanced over
at the alarm clock once again. It read
7:30 am.

�Damn! We�re going to be late!
And on the first day of school after the holidays yet!� Kai threw off his covers and slid out of bed
in a hurry. He went over to Tyson and
knelt down, laying a hand on his shoulder and shaking him gently. �Tyson!
Wake up lazy ass! We�re going to
be late for school.�

�G�way. Sleeping.� Tyson mumbled
and swatted Kai away, curling up into a ball.

�You idiot�� Kai sighed, though
fondly, and leaned forward, bringing himself nose to nose with Tyson�s sleeping
face. �You didn�t set the alarm, Tyson,
and it�s twenty to eight already! If
you intend to eat breakfast then get up now!�

Tyson opened his eyes sleepily and
Kai had to keep himself from gasping at the sight of those gorgeous, deep blue
pools so close.

�Hi.� Tyson greeted him softly, voice cheerful. �You said something about breakfast?�

Kai nodded and sat back on his
heels. �We have to hurry though,
Ty. We don�t want to be late on the
first day back.�

Stretching like a cat (and making
Kai want to drool), Tyson yawned.
�Yeah.� He blinked, realizing he
was on the floor.

�Did I roll off the bed again?�

Kai got up and went to the closet,
snickering. �Yep. Maybe we should invest in one of those
hospital beds with the rails on it.� He
slid into a pair of tight black jeans.

Tyson ran a hand through his hair
and scowled at Kai. �Oh, shut up
Kai.� He rolled to his feet and stomped
to his dresser to pull out a clean pair of socks and boxers, then to the closet
for jeans and a T-shirt.

Kai turned away to hide his pink
cheeks and pulled his crimson shirt over his head and then his socks. �Well, you don�t want to give Hilary another
chance to get you into two weeks detention � again.�

�Bloody female. Wicked witch of every freaking grade�� Tyson
muttered, slipping on his clean boxers behind the closet door. Kai chuckled some more in full agreement.

After they�d finished dressing, they
grabbed a quick breakfast before heading for school.

The two teens walked in
companionable silence for a while. They
stopped by the noodle house to pick up Kenny and Rei.

�Yo!� Rei waved at them, then turned and stuck his head back in the
door and yelled for Kenny. �Chief! Hurry up!
Kai and Tyson are here!�

�What�s taking him so long?� Tyson wondered, knowing that the Chief was
rarely late for anything.

Rei rolled his eyes. �He was adding a few new components to
Dizzi�s laptop this morning. I had to
practically spoon-feed him breakfast or he�d never have eaten. You know how he gets when he gets absorbed.�

Tyson threw back his head and
laughed. Kai smiled widely and stuck
his own head through the door to bellow, �Chief! Now!�

Kenny came flying down the stairs,
Dizzi under one arm, and nearly tripping on the last step and stumbling.

�I�m her! I�m coming!� He pulled on
his shoes and jacket, and then followed his teammates to school.

They met up with Max at the school
gates and together the Bladebreakers went inside to begin their final term of
the last year of high school.

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

~ End of
Chapter 1 ~

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

Chapter 2

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

�So what does everyone have
first?� Max asked. The five teens walked to their lockers
together and stashed their book bags and jackets.

�Math.� Kenny said. �And physics
after that.�

�English.� Rei glanced at his schedule.
�Then gym.�

�History.� Kai yawned. �Then a
spare.�

�Ditto.� Tyson made a face. �I
hate history.�

�I�ve got Math, too.� Max grinned at Kenny and slung an arm over
his shoulders. �Then I guess I�m in gym
with you, Rei.�

�Awesome. Meet you guys on the roof at noon!� Rei waved over his shoulder as he went off in one direction for
class. The others went the opposite
way.

Kai and Tyson walked into their
classroom and grabbed seats at the back � after Kai gave a fiery glare at the
two kids taking up the table in the back corner of the classroom and they hastily
removed themselves with a squeaky, �Sorry Kai!�

Tyson sighed and gave Kai a slightly
pained look. �Must you scare everyone?�

Kai shrugged and leaned back in his
seat. �They should know better by
now.� He replied, closing his eyes and
crossing his arms over his chest in a pose of complete indifference.

�You�re so weird, you know that?�

�Do you want extra training
tonight?� Kai cracked open one crimson
eye and gave his friend a hard glare.

�Sheesh. What�s gotten into you?
Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?�
Tyson huffed.

�No. You just always manage to annoy me somehow.�

�I figured that out a long
time ago, Kai.� Tyson said, wryly,
though his expression told Kai he was a little hurt. �Even when I don�t mean to, it seems.� He looked away to stare out the window.

Kai groaned inwardly. Good going, Hiwatari� �Tyson�� He was about to actually try
and apologize when the teacher came in wheeling a cart full of textbooks.

�Good morning everyone. Welcome back after the holidays.� The scholarly looking man spoke up,
adjusting his glasses. �This is history
so if you�re in the wrong place, now�s the time to run off and find where
you�re supposed to be.� He paused and
studied the class. �Uh huh. Okay, I�ll hand out texts in a moment. First, I�d like to introduce a new exchange
student to Bay City High.� He motioned
to a figure standing just outside the classroom door.

The teen who entered amidst whispers
and stares of curiosity wasn�t that tall (average height really), had short,
thick brown hair and warm, honey-brown eyes.
He was dressed in clothes that were obviously of a high-end quality and
gazed apprehensively around the room.

Until he spotted Kai. Then his eyes lit up and he smiled in
relief.

Kai, who hadn�t really been paying
much attention since he didn�t particularly care about any new student, only
sat up and took notice when everyone turned to look at him, then back at the
new kid.

Tyson nudged Kai in the ribs. �Know him?�

Kai frowned and slouched into his
seat at the sudden attention.
�Yeah. Talk later.� He glared at the class in a clear warning
not to ask anything and they hastily turned back to the front.

�Class, this is Wyatt
Smith-Wright. Wyatt, take a seat and
we�ll get on with this class.� The
teacher waved Wyatt towards the seats that were empty.

Much to Kai�s disappointment,
Tyson�s personality exerted itself.
�Hey, Wyatt! Sit here.� Tyson gestured at the empty seat next to him
at he table he and Kai shared with a grin.

Wyatt smiled back and sat. �Thanks.
Hello, Kai.�

�Hn.�

Tyson rolled his eyes, secretly
promising himself to nag Kai later for this story. He held out a hand. �Don�t mind him. He�s a sourpuss. Tyson.�

�Nice to meet you, Tyson.� Wyatt shook his hand. He grinned at Kai, who had his eyes closed
again. �And I remember what Kai�s
like. I guess he hasn�t changed much.�

�You�d be surprised.�

�Tyson, shut up.� Kai advised, mildly.

�Shutting.�

The rest of the class passed fairly
quickly, since it took a while to get the textbooks passed out.

As they packed their books into
their lockers, Tyson made annoyed noises and was grumbling about homework.

�I can�t believe we have to write a
paper already!� He exclaimed, tossing
his hands in the air.

�It�s only a thousand words, Tyson.�
Kai pointed out. �He just wants to see what we�re capable
of.�

�Well, he�s going to be awfully
disappointed in me then isn�t he? You
know I can�t write essays very well.�
Tyson�s mouth turned into a pout and Kai looked away, fighting the urge
to just lean over and kiss it away.

I�m so hopeless. He smacked himself mentally. Why did it have to be Tyson of all
people?

Instead, he grabbed the lip of
Tyson�s ball cap and twisted it around so it sat properly on the slate
black-haired teen�s head. �I�ll help
you out with it, Ty, but only to proof read and edit it for you. Okay?�

Tyson slapped at his hand and
grinned hopefully at his captain.
�Seriously? Cool! Deal.�
He fixed his cap.

�Moron.�

�Sourpuss.�

�Dragon breath.�

�KFC!�

Kai mock glared. �I am NOT crispy-fried chicken.� He growled.
They walked through the halls, heading for the roof where they�d spend
their spare and wait for the others to join them for lunch.

�Oh, come on. That was a good one!� Tyson waved his hands around expressively. �Phoenix?
Fire? Bird? Get it?�

�I get it, I get it!�

When they got to the roof, they
found it empty and quiet. Kai dropped
his book bag on the picnic table and stretched out on one bench, staring up at
the sky with his hands folded behind his head.

�So.� Tyson plopped down across from him on the other bench. �What�s the story on Wyatt?�

�You�re going to make me tell you
aren�t you?�

�Kai, no one makes you do
anything. I�m just curious, is
all. You don�t have to tell me.�

With a sigh, Kai sat up and swung
around to face the younger blader.
�No. It�s all right. You know pretty much everything else about
me by now.� Kai flushed a little. �You�re my best friend.�

Tyson blinked, astonished. �I am?�

�Don�t let it go to your head,
Ty.� Kai eyed him warily. To his own astonishment, Tyson had gone
bright red and was avoiding his gaze.
�What?�

�I, uh, I guess I�m just�honored,
Kai.� Tyson fumbled. �I mean I knew we were friends but��

�Yeah, well, now you know. I don�t know why you�re so surprised
though.� Now it was Kai�s turn to look
away. He was supremely grateful the
rest of the team wasn�t around at that moment.
�You know me better than anyone, Tyson.
You always have. And you�ve
always been there for me. You�ve saved my
life � and my sanity � on several occasions.
You never gave up on me, Tyson.
I think those are good reasons to consider you my best friend.� He looked back, then, and met Tyson�s stormy
gaze dead on.

�I never knew.� Tyson said quietly. �I didn�t always understand you, Kai. Not at first anyway. You were always trying to hide your emotions
from us. But I could see. I don�t know how or why but I could.� He gave Kai a soft smile. �I guess it�s only fair, then, that I tell
you that you�re my best friend too.�

Kai�s crimson eyes widened. �But�I thought Max and Kenny were��

Tyson shook his head. �Oh, they�re great friends and both them and
Rei are among my closest friends. But
you�you�re my best friend, Kai.�

They stared at each other in a somewhat
awkward silence for a while, until Tyson coughed and flushed, saying, �Uh�so
are you going to tell me about Wyatt?�

Kai blinked and shook himself
slightly. Damned if his mind hadn�t
gone into fantasy mode on him. �Oh
yeah. Not much to tell really. Before I met you I went to this fancy prep
school outside of town. Wyatt was
there, too. His father was competition
for one of my�Voltaire�s companies. A
legitimate one, that is.�

�I see.� Tyson thought about that for a while. �He seems nice enough.
Does he blade?�

Kai shrugged. �He didn�t when I knew him. That could have changed though.�

�Huh.� Tyson reached into his bag and pulled out Dragoon. �Feel like a practice match? We�ve still got time to kill before lunch.�

Kai pulled out Dranzer. �Why not?
You could use the extra practice.�
He poked a finger at Tyson.
�Especially since you slacked off over the holidays. Besides, we should start preparing for the
tournament circuit.�

Tyson rolled his eyes and set
Dragoon in his launcher, taking up his stance.
�Gimme a break, oh mighty captain Kai.
There�s a reason they call it a holiday after all.�

�That�s no excuse.�

�Whatever. 3�2�1�Let it rip!�

They launched perfectly and their
blades slammed into one another in mid-air, sparks flying as they ground
against each other to the ground.

�Come on, Tyson. You�ll never beat me if you keep that
up.� Kai smirked. �Dranzer!
Show him how it�s done!�

�Dragoon!� Tyson frowned. �Maneuver
and defend!�

�Too late�� Dranzer smacked Dragoon
out of its way and the blade spun to a halt at Tyson�s feet.

�Shit.� Was all Tyson could say.
He scooped up his blade. �Hmm�my
attack ring is loose. I guess I�ll have
to get the Chief to fix that.�

Kai picked up Dranzer. �Did I knock it loose? Sorry.
I didn�t think I hit you that hard.�

Tyson shook his head. �No.
It wasn�t just that. I should
have inspected it first. It probably got
jarred a bit in my bag.�

�Don�t keep it in there anymore.�

�Yeah.�

The door to the stairs swung open
with a clang and Rei, Kenny, and Max came out.

�Hey!� Max glomped Tyson. �How�s
it going?�

�History sucks.� Was Tyson�s unenthusiastic reply.

Kai snorted and sat back down at the
table, pulling out his lunch.

Kenny had Dizzi open and running,
typing in commands and studying the screen.
�What time are we training at, Kai?�

Rei yawned, flashing fang. �I hope it won�t be until too late. I need sleep.�

�After school until supper.� Kai nodded at Tyson. �And Tyson�s blade needs fixing, Chief. His attack ring is loose.�

Kenny snatched Dragoon from
Tyson. �How�d that happen? Tyson, you�ve been neglecting your blade
again, haven�t you?�

Tyson grumbled defensively. �I have not. I think it got jarred in my bag and then I battled Kai earlier��

Max patted him on the shoulder. �Could�ve happened to anyone, buddy.�

Rei brought out Driger and smiled
down at the blade. �It�ll be good to go
on the circuit again.�

The others agreed.

�Oh, hey! There�s a new kid!� Max
suddenly exclaimed. �He showed up in
our Math class this morning.�

Kenny adjusted his glasses. �His name�s Zeo Zagart. He seemed pretty nice.�

Kai and Tyson exchanged a look.

�Big day for new kids.� Tyson commented. �We had one, too. His
name�s Wyatt Smith-Wright.

Rei raised an eyebrow. �Sounds British.�

Kai nodded. �He is.�

Kenny, Max and Rei stared at him.

�You know him?�

Kai nodded. �Went to the same prep school before I met
you guys.�

�Huh. Small world.� Max
mused. Then he frowned as a thought
occurred to him. �Wait. A prep school? If he used to go to a prep school, what�s he doing here, now?�

Kai looked up from his lunch. �Good question.�

By now, other kids were gathering
for the lunch hour, though they pretty much stayed away from the Bladebreakers
table.

�Well, here�s our chance to ask
him.� Tyson pointed at the door. �There he is.�

Kai glanced over, a little
curious. At Tyson�s questioning gaze,
he shrugged. �Go ahead, Ty.�

Tyson grinned and stood up, yelling,
�Wyatt! Hey! Over here!� And waving
madly. He stayed standing, oblivious to
the sudden quiet and stunned whispers as Wyatt made his way over.

Kai heard them � though he just
ignored them as he usually did.

�Wow! Who is that? Does he know
the Team?�

�How come he gets asked to
sit with them?�

�Yeah! Geez, anyone else who dares gets �the GLARE.�� Kai had to smirk at that one.

�Tyson!� Wyatt smiled. �How�s it
going? Hey Kai!�

�Hn.�

Tyson chuckled and nudged Kenny
under the table after sitting back down next to Kai. �Move over, Chief! And
put Dizzi away. She deserves a break
every now and then, too.�

�Why thank you, Tyson!� A very female voice said, quite
surprised. �I didn�t know you cared.�

�Hey, you work just as hard as the
rest of the bit-beasts do.� Max added,
leaning over to look at the screen.

Kenny sighed and closed the laptop
with a �click.� �How am I supposed to
get any work done?� He grumbled, but
moved over.

�Don�t mind the Chief, Wyatt.� Tyson gestured at Kenny. �So where are you from anyway? They didn�t tell us where you were
�exchanged� from in class this morning.�

�I�ve been in Scotland for a few
years.� Wyatt told them.

�Kai told us you went to the same
prep school once.� Rei held out a hand. �Kon, Rei.�

�Hi, Rei!� Wyatt shook his hand briefly.
�Kai was right. But that was a
long, long time ago.�

�I�m Max!� Max introduced himself, pumping Wyatt�s hand
enthusiastically. �It�s really great to
meet someone who knew Kai before we met him.�

Wyatt laughed. �Well, I wouldn�t say I knew
him. I don�t think anyone did, really.�

Tyson grinned, laying a hand on
Kai�s shoulder. �Sounds like you,
alright, Kai!�

Kai spared him a quick glare, but
didn�t make any attempt to remove his hand.
�Stuff it, Tyson.�

�Ah!� The teen clutched at his chest dramatically. �I�m so hurt! I thought you cared!�

Kai, trying to keep his usual scowl
on his face, couldn�t stop the corners of his mouth from turning up
faintly. He jabbed an elbow into
Tyson�s ribs. �Cut that out!�

�But Kaaaaaaiiiii!� Tyson whined, leaning on his captain and
daring to push his buttons � with expertise born of years of practice. �You know you�d miss it if I stopped.�

Kai turned wide crimson eyes to him,
meeting Tyson�s deep blue orbs and giving him a silent plea for his
reputation. Seeing absolutely no chance
of that, he couldn�t help flushing at Tyson�s amused grin. He could have sworn Tyson was�flirting!

�You little�� He growled.

Wyatt was watching with eyes the
size of saucers and the rest of the team was trying not to laugh, since they
were used to the two teens banter.

Kai, acutely conscious of the fact
Tyson was still leaning on him (not that he really minded) and that they were
staring at each other (Kai blushing more and more every second), finally
managed to grind out, �You�ve got five seconds to start running, Tyson.�

Tyson flushed and chuckled
nervously, moving away and getting up in a hurry. Backing up cautiously, he eyed Kai and held up his hands. �Uh�come on, Kai! I was just kidding around��

Kai narrowed his eyes and
stood. �5�4�3�� He began counting down.

Tyson grabbed his book bag, blurting
out, �I�ve gotta go! Fix Dragoon,
please, Kenny! Thanks! Bye!�
Before running for the roof stairs.

��2�1�� Kai picked up his bag just
as the lunch bell rang. �You can run,
Tyson, but you can�t hide. Especially
since we both have gym class next.�

Max burst out laughing and nearly
fell off the bench. Kenny was shaking
his head, and Rei was grinning pointy ear to pointy ear, fangs glinting and
golden feline eyes sparkling. Poor
Wyatt was just stunned and sat there with his mouth gaping.

�Oh man! I wish I had gym again.�
Rei flicked his wrapped hair over his shoulder. �I think Tyson better watch out.� He said as Kai stalked purposefully toward
the stairs. �Come on guys! We�d better get to class.�

Max, still giggling, wiped away his
tears of mirth. �Go ahead, guys. I�ve got a spare this block. You know, I might just head down to the gym
and keep an eye on those two � just in case.�

�Does that happen often?� Wyatt wanted to know. He didn�t think he�d ever seen Kai like that
before.

Max slapped his knee and started
laughing again. �Nah. Well, not that often anyway.�

�Rei! Wyatt! We�re going to be
late!� Kenny picked up Dizzi and the
boys headed off for their classes.

�Hey, Max.� Rei pulled Max aside after separating from
Wyatt and Kenny. �Did you notice
anything strange between Tyson and Kai?�

Max grinned gleefully. �Are you kidding? A blind man could see it.�

Rei grinned back. �I figured.
Though it doesn�t really surprise me.�

�Me either. They�ve gotten really close over the
years.� Max glanced at his watch. �You�d better go, Rei.�

�Oh yeah. See you after school, Maxie.�

�Yep!�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai didn�t get his chance to get
back at Tyson in gym, but he knew he could do it later in their training.

He sat through his final class,
physics, bored out of his tree. Since
he was so bored, he let his mind wander back to that little scene on the roof
with Tyson.

Was he flirting with me? He�he couldn�t have been. It�s just wishful thinking and my
imagination working overtime. Kai
stared out the window, wistfully. I
don�t get it. Why did I have to fall
for you, Ty? It wasn�t enough that you
had to get under my skin and become my best friend. You had to be persistent and take my heart, too.

With a sigh, he tuned back into
whatever the teacher was talking about.
Then it occurred to him that he�d never asked Wyatt why he was here.

Damn. I guess we�ll have to do it later � or tomorrow.

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

~ End of
Chapter 2 ~

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

Chapter 3

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

Tyson yawned widely, turning
slightly in his seat to stare out the window.
Max nudged him in the ribs.

�Pay attention, Tyson!�

Wyatt glanced at them. �Guys, do you understand this?� He tapped his pencil on his textbook page.

�Sorry, Wyatt. This is all new to me, too.� Max shook his head and nudged Tyson
again. �Tyson!�

�What? I�m listening!�

�We�ve got to finish this equation
before class ends.� Max reminded him.

Tyson shrugged and shoved his
workbook at Max. �Here. Check it over and see if I got it
right.� Then he turned to stare out the
window again, oblivious to the strange look Wyatt was giving him and Max�s
incredulous gaze. He was too busy
thinking about more important things.

Like Kai.

Why did I do that at lunch? It�s not like I want him to be mad at
me. And I definitely don�t want the
extra training I just know I�m going to get slapped with � if he doesn�t decide
to just slap me instead.
Tyson sighed and propped his chin on one hand, elbow resting on the
counter.

Somehow he always makes me want
to annoy him enough to get a reaction, just to see those gorgeous eyes burn
with emotion. Why, I don�t really
know. He�s changed a great deal over
the years � or maybe he hasn�t and it�s that I can see past his mask now. No.
He has changed. He never would
have let me lean on him or anything before. Tyson smiled slightly to himself. He�s so cute when he blushes.
I wonder if that flush goes farther than his face? It�s so much fun teasing him, although, I
don�t think I�m very good at flirting �cause he hasn�t noticed yet. A horrible thought crossed his mind and he
paled. Or he has and he�s going to kill
me! Oh Gods. I�m so dead. I�d
better apologize to him.

The bell rang at that point, freeing
the students from their classes for the day.
Tyson gathered his books and followed Max and Wyatt back to their
lockers. Wyatt�s was across the hallway
from where the Bladebreakers had theirs.

�Since when were you so good at
Chemistry, Tyson?� Max wanted to
know. Tyson had gotten every equation
right � and it seemed like he barely even had to try.

Tyson slid his textbooks into his
locker and put away his workbooks.
�I�ve always been good at it, I guess.
It�s just something I understood.�

Max shook his head. �After all this time, I can�t believe you
still manage to surprise me, bud.�

Tyson flashed a grin. �That�s me!�

�You coming?�

�Nope. I�ll wait here for Kai.
See you later at practice, Max!�

�Okay!� Max grinned and slung an arm around Wyatt�s shoulders. �So, Wyatt?
Do you blade?� He asked as they
walked off.

Tyson closed his locker and leaned
against it, crossing his arms and adopting a �Kai pose� to wait for the
bluenette, ignoring the mass of students flowing past him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai picked up his books and headed
out, glancing only once at the boy with long blue hair that was partially
braided and wearing jeans and a sweater.
Must be the other new kid Max and the Chief mentioned. Zeo, I think they said. Kai studied him briefly, then dismissed his
existence. Whatever. I need to come up with some way of getting
back at Tyson. He walked towards
his locker, but stopped for a moment when he spotted Tyson leaning against the
lockers, apparently waiting for him.

Kai frowned slightly and approached
Tyson. �You�re awfully brave,
Tyson. Shouldn�t you be running for
your life right about now?�

Tyson opened his eyes and pushed
away from the locker. As Kai got his
things from his locker and put his books away, Tyson ducked his head and
shuffled his feet almost sheepishly.

�Listen, Kai. I wanted to apologize for lunch. I didn�t mean to embarrass you or
anything. I�m really sorry.�

Kai blinked and closed his locker
with a �click.� He�s
apologizing? Huh. He began walking forcing Tyson to hurry
alongside.

�So if you didn�t mean it, then why
did you do it?� Kai asked, making his
tone cold and slightly offended. He
really wanted to know if Tyson had been flirting or not.

Tyson turned an interesting shade of
red as he stammered, �I�I�I�don�t know.
I just��

�What?� Kai stopped just outside the school�s main doors and turned to
face Tyson, one imperious eyebrow raised.

Tyson avoided eye contact and shook
his head. �I don�t know. I�m sorry, okay?�

Kai sighed. �Fine.
Apology accepted. You�re still
getting extra training though.� He
began walking again, leaving a surprised and rather grateful Tyson standing on
the school steps gaping after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

�Go Driger! Attack!�

�Dragoon! Dodge it and circle around!�

Rei and Tyson battled on as Max
cheered, Kenny and Dizzi analyzed, and Kai observed. They were down on the beach training, one of the few places they
could do so without attracting crowds or being mobbed by fans.

There was a loud �clang� as the two
blades collided and were knocked back into their owners� hands, ending the
battle in a draw. Rei grinned and wiped
his forehead with a towel, having worked up a sweat during the match.

�Great battle, Tyson!� He clapped his friend on the shoulder. �So who�s up next?�

Kenny looked up from his laptop and
said, �It�s getting kind of late. Maybe
we should head back after one last round.�

Kai stepped up to the dish. �I agree.
Max, show me what you�ve got.
Then we�ll go home for supper.�

�You got it!� Max took up his stance and Rei counted down.

�3�2�1�Let it rip!�

The match was fairly even, neither
blader making any headway over the other.
That is, until Kai suddenly froze, his eyes going wide and a small moan
of pain escaping his mouth.

�Kai?� Max called back his blade immediately, watching as their captain
sank to his knees and clasped his head in his hands, dropping his launcher in
the sand. �Hey! What�s wrong?�

Tyson was at Kai�s side in an
instant. He knelt down beside the older
blader in concern, but didn�t touch him.
�Kai. What is it?� He asked, waving the others away. �Let me handle this, guys.�

�But�� Max protested, wanting to
help somehow.

Rei pulled him back a bit. �Let Tyson be, Maxie.�

Kai could barely hear them. In his vision, he wasn�t seeing the beach or
his teammates anymore. There was only
darkness and a vast feeling of emptiness.
He could hear the screech of a Phoenix�
�Dranzer!� He called out. But the powerful spirit didn�t answer. Then his vision shifted and he watched as a
strange bit-beast battled not only Dranzer but each of his team�s sacred
spirits in turn. One by one they fell,
and he could just barely see a figure cloaked in shadows and hear the
mysterious blader�s laughter as Dragoon, Dranzer, Driger, and Draciel were
captured by the figure�s bit-beast.

�No�not again�� Kai moaned, feeling
tears well up as he watched his teammates fall in battle, with no one to help
them. Tyson was the last to fall, his
arm reaching out as Dragoon disappeared and a final anguished cry echoed in the
sudden silence.

Then Kai felt someone shaking him
and calling his name in a very worried tone.
�Kai! Kai! Snap out of it! Please?�

Kai snapped back to reality and
blinked away the tears in his eyes until he could see Tyson�s very concerned
expression and the worry in those deep blue pools made him suck in a sharp
breath. �Tyson��

�Thank Gods! Kai�� Relief etched itself over Tyson�s
face. �You scared me, Kai. What happened?�

�That dream again.� Kai whispered. He threw himself into Tyson�s arms and clung, burying his face in
Tyson�s neck. �Oh God, it was that
dream!�

Tyson frowned and held on tightly to
Kai, rubbing his back soothingly. �But
you were wide awake! That�s never
happened before. Has it?�

Kai shook his head, still not
releasing the Dragon.

The others stood back, watching with
a mixture of shock, concern, and not a little amusement. Shock because they�d never seen Kai and Tyson
like this, concern for Kai, and amusement because it was completely obvious the
two liked each other a lot � even if the two in question didn�t realized it.

They were also somewhat
confused. They were missing something
here and had no idea what it was.

Tyson flicked his eyes towards them
then whispered in Kai�s ear, �Were going to have to explain, Kai. This time I can�t keep it between us. I�m sorry.�

Kai stiffened and felt his cheeks
heat up and his ears begin to burn.
�Shit.� He muttered. �I forgot about the others.�

�Yeah.� Tyson pulled back a bit and gazed directly into Kai�s crimson
eyes. �You okay now? Other than embarrassed?� He gently wiped away Kai�s tears with his
thumb.

Kai nodded slightly. �No.
But I will be. Thanks, Ty.�

�Anytime.� Tyson smiled sadly. �Talk
to us, Kai. What did you see?�

Tyson�s strength gave Kai enough
courage to spill it out. He gripped
Tyson�s hand as he spoke, and whenever he faltered, Tyson would squeeze it
reassuringly and Kai was able to go on.

When he�d finished, the others
stared at him, then at each other.

�This doesn�t sound good at
all.� Kenny stated. �And you�ve had that dream before?�

�Yes. But that was a long time ago.
And never like just now.� Kai�s
eyes clouded over. �I can�t loose
Dranzer. None of you can loose your
bit-beasts either.�

�We won�t.� Tyson said firmly. His midnight blue eyes were extremely determined. �We�ll stay on guard, train extra hard, and
be ready for anything. Kai�s dream was
a warning. We�d be foolish to ignore
it.�

Max looked skeptical. �Do you really think so? You don�t think it�s just some crazy
recurring nightmare?�

Rei shook his head. �I agree with Tyson, Max. I think it was a warning.�

�I just wish I knew what it was
about and how?� Kai sighed,
unconsciously leaning into Tyson, who pulled him closer, protectively. If the others noticed, they were wise enough
not to comment.

Kenny closed Dizzi and adjusted his
glasses. �Well, until we figure it out,
we�ll just do like Tyson said. We�ll
train hard, keep an eye on things and be ready for anything. For now, let�s just go home, guys.�

Tyson pulled away and stood, holding
out his hands to Kai. �Come on,
Kai. Maybe we can convince Grandpa to
order pizza tonight.� Kai grabbed his
hands and allowed Tyson to help him up.

�We just had pizza a couple days
ago, Tyson.�

�So?�

Max laughed and waved over his
shoulder as he jogged away. �See you
guys tomorrow!�

�See ya Maxie!�

�Take care, Kai. You too, Tyson.� Rei ruffled Tyson�s hair.
�Call if anything comes up.�

�Sure. Bye, Rei! Bye, Chief!�

Tyson and Kai walked back to the
dojo in silence, Kai mentally kicking himself for getting all emotional around
the rest of the team (excluding Tyson � since he had seen Kai worse anyway),
and Tyson worrying about the sudden return of the dream that had plagued Kai so
long ago.

Gramps already had supper ready when
they got home so Tyson didn�t get his pizza.
After they�d eaten, and their homework was done (not that they had much
on the first day back), they watched TV for a while before heading off to bed.

Kai lay awake for a good half hour
before finally saying, �You awake, Ty?�

A very groggy Tyson replied, �Not
really but�� Kai heard him flip over and sheets rustle. �Still freaked?�

�Yeah.� Kai admitted. �I�m�I
don�t want to go to sleep because I don�t want to dream.� His voice was soft.

He supposed he shouldn�t have been
surprised when Tyson rolled off his bed and padded over to Kai�s and carrying
his pillow, but he was. �Tyson?�

�Shove over.� Came the sleepy command, and Kai couldn�t
help but obey. Tyson slid in with him
and got comfortable � or at least, as comfortable as possible with two grown
teens trying to fit on one single-person bed.
�We�re getting to big for this, you know. We don�t fit on one bed anymore.�

Kai was extremely grateful for the
darkness so Tyson couldn�t see his red face.
�I�m 18 and you�re 17, Tyson. Of
course we don�t fit well on one small bed anymore.�

�Yeah, well, it�s going to be
interesting to wake up in the morning.�
Tyson teased.

�Tyson!�

�Sorry! I�m sorry! I couldn�t
resist that one!�

�Resist harder.�

Tyson snickered. �Sorry, Kai.�

�Quit apologizing and go to
sleep.� Kai grumbled, but sighed in
defeat and curled up against Tyson. �Thanks,
Tyson.�

He smiled eyes closed, and wrapped
his arms around Kai�s shoulders. �Go to
sleep, Kai. If you dream, I�ll be
here.�

�I know.�

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the week passed quickly
and without incident. Kai began to
wonder if the dream had just been some random occurrence after all.

During that week, Wyatt became fast
friends with the team � except Kai, of course.
He didn�t accept people so quickly and wholeheartedly. But that was just Kai.

Then again, it might have had something
to do with the fact that Wyatt seemed to get along with Tyson best of all.

Kai, in his typical pose of
indifference (to everyone but Tyson, who knew better), sat next to Tyson in
their history class first thing Friday morning and tried really hard to block
out the younger blader�s excited chatter with an equally excited Wyatt.

�Wow! Tyson, it�s so cool that you�ve been all over the world like
that! And you get to do it again in a
few months!�

�Oh man! Wyatt, I tell you it�s the greatest. I hope we get to go back to Europe and see some of the other
places we didn�t get to see last time.�
Tyson practically gushed. Kai
mentally rolled his eyes then winced inwardly when he heard Tyson ask, �What do
you think, Kai? Will we get to go to
Europe again?�

�Who cares? I�m more interested in blading than being a
tourist.� He replied in a bored voice.

�Kai, you�re reverting.� Tyson gave him a pointed look. �You�re turning into a wet blanket again.�

�I repeat: so?�

Wyatt laughed and Tyson gave Kai a
pained look. Kai felt a little bad for
ruining Tyson�s fun, but he was only telling the truth.

At that point, the teacher came in
and class got started. Today�s subject:
British colonialism in Asia.

Mid-way through the lecture, Kai�s
ears picked up the faint sound of a blade spinning. He glanced around, trying to pinpoint it, but couldn�t see
anything. He frowned and tuned back
into what the teacher was saying, thinking he must have been hearing things.

An instant later, his vision went
black and pain seared his brain. He
gasped and clutched his head as the dream slammed into him with full force.

Tyson looked at Kai sharply when he
gasped, a cold feeling of dread settling in his stomach. Oh no. He thought. Not
now. Not here. He watched Kai go pale under his blue shark
fins and when Kai�s eyes flew open wide he saw the flame filled blankness he�d
seen less than a week ago on the beach.
�Shit.� He muttered, cursing
fluently as he caught Kai, who had begun to sway in his seat and suddenly drooped
to one side as he passed out.

�What�s wrong with him, Tyson?� Wyatt asked fearfully and a little
concerned.

�Not now, Wyatt.� Tyson�s eyes flicked towards the rest of the
class and their teacher, who was approaching rapidly to see what all the fuss was
about.

�What is going on?� The scholarly man demanded.

�Uh�Kai seems to have passed out,
sir. May I take him to the nurses�
office?� Tyson requested, though he was
taking his captain out of there whether the teacher gave permission or not.

�Yes. That�s a good idea. Wyatt,
help him take Kai to the nurses� office please.�

Wyatt nodded and between him and
Tyson, they carried Kai from the room.

Once outside, Tyson turned and led
them to the boys� washroom.

�Uh�Tyson? Shouldn�t we be taking him to the nurse?� Wyatt inquired tentatively.

�No. He doesn�t need one. Hold
him up here for a minute while I check and make sure the washroom�s
empty.� Tyson ducked inside, then returned
quickly, pulling Kai and Wyatt inside.

Gently, Tyson lowered Kai to the
floor and propped him up against the wall near the sinks. He knelt next to his captain and tapped
Kai�s cheeks sharply. �Kai? Hey, Kai?�
When he got no response at all, he looked up at Wyatt. �I know you�re curious, Wyatt, but I can�t
tell you anything until Kai says it�s okay.
He�ll be fine, though. I can
tell you that.�

�It�s alright. I understand. Um�do you want me to go get your stuff and keep guard outside the
washroom for you?�

Tyson smiled, giving him a grateful
look. �I�d appreciate it, Wyatt.�

�I just want to help.� Wyatt headed for the door. �I�ll get your stuff and wait outside.�

�Okay.�

After Wyatt had left, Tyson got up
and locked the door behind him. He went
back to Kai and waited for him to come around.

He didn�t have to wait long. Kai stirred and Tyson took one of his hands
and squeezed gently. �Kai? Hey.
Are you okay?�

Kai blinked blearily at him, trying
to focus on Tyson�s face. �Tyson? What�Oh Gods.� He shuddered at the memory of the dream.

�Yeah.� Tyson enfolded the Phoenix in his arms and held on as Kai
shivered. �Go ahead, Kai. Let it out.
It�s just us in here.�

Kai buried his face in Tyson�s
shoulder and wept. �I can�t take this,
Tyson! I can�t!�

�It�s going to be okay. We won�t let that dream come to be reality,
Kai. I swear.�

�I can�t loose Dranzer! And I don�t want to see you or the others
loose your bit-beasts, too!�

�We won�t!� Tyson said firmly. He pulled away enough to look directly into Kai�s crimson
eyes. �I promise, Kai, whatever it is,
we�ll fight and we�ll win. No one is
loosing anything.�

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

~ End of
Chapter 3 ~

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

Chapter 4

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

When Kai had pulled himself together
and washed his face (having to re-apply his triangles because they�d smeared),
Tyson collected their stuff from Wyatt and took Kai home.

�Wyatt said he�d tell the guys we
went home and he�d get our homework for us.�
Tyson said as they walked slowly home.

�Hn.�

Tyson glanced at Kai worriedly. �You okay?�

�No.� Kai sighed, wearily. �I
just want to sleep.� They stepped into
the dojo and took off their shoes and jackets.
�I�ve got a headache too.�

�Little Dudes!� Kai winced at Gramps� sudden yell. �What are you doing back so early?�

�Geez, Grandpa! You don�t have to yell!� Tyson glowered at his grandfather. �Kai wasn�t feeling well so I brought him
home.�

Gramps frowned and studied Kai
critically. �Hmm�you do look kind of
pale, dude. Better go lie down for a
while.� Gramps looked at Tyson. �I�m just heading off to that martial arts
conference, little dude. You think
you�ll be alright on your own?�

�Sure, Grandpa. I can take care of Kai.�

�Okay. I�ll see you homeboys in a couple of days then.� Gramps grabbed his suitcase and headed out
the door. At the gate, he turned and
called back to them, �Tyson! Don�t
forget your training!�

Tyson rolled his eyes and watched
him get in the cab and drive away. �I
think he�s your Grandfather, Kai. He sounds just like you.�

�Gee thanks.� Came the tired reply. Tyson looked back and was just in time to
catch Kai as he slumped and went crashing to the floor.

�Ooph.� Tyson grunted and maneuvered until he could pick his captain
up. �Damn. For someone with all those muscles you�re awfully light.�

Kai glowered at him, too tired and
weak to do much else, though that didn�t stop him from protesting as Tyson
carried him bridal style to their shared room.
�Put me down, Tyson. I can
walk!�

�Oh sure. That�s why you almost fell over standing there just now.� Kai had to blink because Tyson�s tone
sounded an awful lot like Kai himself with that reply.

Tyson put Kai on his bed and wagged
a finger at him. �Stay put. I�ll get some Advil for your headache.�

With a sigh of defeat, seeing that
Tyson was serious about taking care of him, Kai stripped and put on a pair of
silk pajama pants and a matching silk sleep-shirt. He didn�t normally wear them (since he preferred to sleep in just
his boxers) but he figured since Tyson had gone through all the trouble of
getting them for Kai for Christmas one year, he ought to wear them once in a
while. He had to admit they were really
nice. They were a dark red � almost the
same color as Kai�s eyes � and were very well made.

Kai was just turning to pull back
the covers and crawl into bed when Tyson returned, a glass of water in one-hand
and headache pills in the other. The
slate-black haired blader had to stop and stare at the Phoenix for a moment, a
faint flush painting his cheeks. Oh
wow. Those pajamas are definitely his
color. Tyson blew out a breath and
held out the glass and pills. �Here.�

Kai swallowed the pills and downed
half of the glass of water before handing the glass back to Tyson. �Thanks.�

�Sure.� Tyson put the glass on his desk and stripped down to his boxers
and put on a tank top. Kai watched him
curiously (and with interest � though he made sure Tyson didn�t see that).

�What are you doing?� He finally asked.

�I�m sleeping with you.� Tyson replied. �If you don�t mind that is.�

�Well, no�� Kai couldn�t really
protest that could he?

�Besides, have you ever known me to
turn down an opportunity to sleep and be lazy?� Tyson padded over and Kai slid towards the wall to make room for
him.

�I guess not.�

�You seem to sleep better and
dreamless when I�m with you anyway. You
need your rest, Kai.� Tyson pulled Kai
into his arms, lying on his back so that Kai was sprawled over half of Tyson,
head pillowed on his shoulder.

Kai�s eyes slid closed as Tyson
gently stroked his silk clad back with one hand and rubbed Kai�s temple with
the other, soothing away the pain in Kai�s head.

�Why are you always taking care of
me?� He mumbled, snuggling closer. �I can take care of myself, you know, and
it�s my job to take care of you�and the others.� Kai added hastily. Watch
yourself, Hiwatari! You almost gave it
away!

He felt Tyson smile as he placed a
kiss on the top of his head and nuzzled Kai�s hair fondly. �Kai, for once in your life, let someone else
take care of you. I know full-well what
you�re capable of � sometimes I think better than you do.�

There was no answer from the
Phoenix. Glancing down, Tyson
smiled. Kai had fallen asleep and he
looked absolutely gorgeous in that peaceful state of slumber.

I�ll be the one to protect and
care for you Kai. Even if I never get
to tell you how much you mean to me, I�ll be here. Tyson promised silently.
You worry about me and the guys all the time � you�re our captain, our
leader. So who worries about you?

Tyson closed his eyes, an oath and a
promise in his heart.

Me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Max, Kenny, and Rei stood just
inside the gate to the dojo, debating on going inside and seeing if anyone was
home or not. They�d stopped by after
school and brought their teammates� homework with them.

�Max, you go in and see if they�re
home.� Rei was saying.

�Why me?�

�Because of the three of us, you�re
the least likely to get killed for disturbing Kai if he�s resting.�

�I don�t see why you think
that.� Max blinked in surprise.

� �Cause you�re the adorable one,
that�s why.� Rei grinned and ruffled
Max�s mop of blonde hair. Max blushed.

Kenny rolled his eyes (though one
couldn�t see that under his hair) and glanced over at the dojo. �Why don�t we all go in at the same
time?� He suggested.

�Good idea!� Max replied, brightly. �Then I don�t have to face a ticked off Kai
alone!�

They went inside. When they didn�t find Tyson or Kai in the
living room or kitchen, Max headed for the bedrooms. �I�ll check their room.
Maybe Tyson took Kai to see a doctor.�

�Maybe.� Kenny and Rei waited in the living room.

The door to Tyson and Kai�s room was
slightly open so Max poked his head inside and froze, gaping for a moment at
the two sleeping teens. They were
wrapped around each other, legs and covers tangled up, Kai�s head resting on
Tyson�s shoulder and face buried in Tyson�s neck. Tyson�s one arm was flung out to the side and hung off the bed
and the other curled securely around Kai�s waist, and (Max had to smother a
giggle) his hand was under Kai�s shirt, which had rode up slightly in their
slumber, resting on Kai�s partially bared back. And, as always, Tyson was snoring � okay, he was breathing
deeply. Max had heard Tyson snore and
this was nowhere near that.

Max withdrew his head and tip-toed
back down the hallway to get Rei and Kenny.
When he got there, he burst into a semi-controlled burst of giggles.

�I take it you found them.� Kenny observed.

Max barely managed to get out a
�Yes!� before giggling again.

�What?� Rei asked, intensely curious now.

�You guys have got to see
this!� Max grabbed their hands and
pulled them down the hall. �Chief, you
gotta get Dizzi to take pictures! This
is too good of a blackmail opportunity to pass up.�

Rei pushed open the door a bit
farther and quickly clapped a hand over Kenny�s mouth to stifle the gasp. He had to swallow back his own laughter �
which was difficult but he managed it � and he watched Kenny open Dizzi and take
a few really good photos of their oblivious teammates.

The three managed to withhold their
hilarity until they got back outside the dojo, where they broke out in fits of
giggles and laughter.

�Chief�� Max gasped. �Y�You�ve got to make copies of that for Rei
and I!�

Kenny grinned and nodded, patting
the laptop fondly. �Oh, you bet!�

Rei�s golden eyes sparkled. �Is it just me or are those two developing
into something more than friends?�

�It�s not just you.� Max reassured him. �Do you suppose either of them have figured it out yet?�

�Those two? Not likely.
Kai�s too stubborn to admit he feels anything for anyone (A/N: But then, these three aren�t as close to Kai
as Tyson is, are they?) and Tyson�s just not that observant.� Rei responded.

�That�s not entirely true,
Rei.� Kenny disagreed. �Tyson sees and hears more than we often
give him credit for. I�ll admit that he
often ignores most of it, however.�

Max nodded. �Kenny�s right. Just look at how close he�s gotten to Kai. He could see something in Kai that we didn�t
once. And Tyson�s always willing to
listen to us when we have a problem.�

Rei smiled. �I suppose you�ve got a point, Maxie. Okay, that might all be true, but I still
don�t think Tyson�s caught on to just how much Kai likes him�if that�s the
case. There�s always the possibility
we�re wrong.�

The three teens stared at each other
for a moment before chorusing, �Nah.�
They burst into a fit of giggles and made their way home.

It was just before Max went to bed
that he realized they�d forgotten to leave their teammates� homework for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kai surfaced from his deep,
dreamless sleep slowly, awakening to the pleasant feeling of a warm body pressed
against him, one of Tyson�s legs tangled up between Kai�s legs, and to a soft
stroking on his cheek. With a soft
sigh, he snuggled closer, at this point not caring one bit if he ever woke up. He was comfortable, warm, and completely
content. When Tyson�s stroking stopped,
he made a disappointed noise and heard Tyson�s quiet chuckle in response.

�Are you sure you�re not a neko-jin,
Kai? I could have sworn I heard you
purr a minute ago.� Tyson resumed his
petting and Kai nuzzled his hand. �And you
seem to like being petted too, which is good because I�m having fun here. Of course, when you wake up enough you�ll
probably kill me, but�� He was cut off when Kai reached up and laid his fingers
over Tyson�s mouth lazily.

�Be quiet, Ty. If I was going to kill you, you�d be dead by
now.� Kai opened his eyes and blinked
away their heaviness. His gaze focused
on a pair of deep, midnight blue eyes that were extremely close, wide with
surprise, amusement, and�something else that Kai couldn�t quite identify.

�Uh�hi, Kai.� Tyson flushed and mumbled behind Kai�s
fingers.

�Hi.� Kai smiled softly. �Did
you sleep at all?�

�Some. It�s almost five in the afternoon.� Tyson smiled back, and Kai removed his fingers, albeit
reluctantly. �How about you? Feeling better now?� He gently lifted the lock of hair that fell
into Kai�s eyes and pushed it away.

�Better. Much better.�

�That�s good. I was worried.� Tyson grasped the back of Kai�s head, sliding his fingers through
Kai�s thick, silky hair, and pulled him forward until their foreheads met. �I promise you, Kai, we�ll do everything we
can to protect the bit-beasts.�

Kai�s eyes slid closed and he took a
deep breath, nodding. He had no idea
how he could be so close to the one
person in the world he loved more than anything and yet feel so far away.

Of course, he wasn�t going to
complain about being this close to Tyson.
That would be just plain stupid and he was definitely not stupid.

They lay there in silence, enjoying
each other�s company for a while longer.
Then Tyson�s stomach growled and he turned pink.

Kai couldn�t help laughing. �I guess we should get up and feed
you.� He reluctantly began to pull away
but Tyson didn�t want to let go.

�I�m fine.� Tyson cuddled Kai closer. �Don�t wreck the moment, Kai.�

�You think I want to?� Kai sighed and relaxed, since he didn�t
either. �We really should eat
though. We missed lunch.�

�There�s no hurry.� Tyson traced a fingertip over Kai�s cheek,
over the spots where very little blue paint remained. �Do you think you�ll ever stop wearing your war paint, Kai?�

Amused, Kai raised an eyebrow at
him. �War paint? Very cute.�

�Ha ha ha. Seriously, Kai?�

Kai shrugged a little. �I don�t know. Probably not. I�ve worn
it for so long it�s like putting on underwear every morning. It�s become automatic.� He paused.
�You know, I just realized that you�re the only one who has ever seen me
without the face paint since I started wearing it as a little kid.�

�Wow. I feel so special now!�
Tyson grinned mischievously.

�Jerk!� Kai pulled away and brushed his fingertips over Tyson�s sides,
making him squirm.

�Hey! No! Cut that out! Kai!�
Tyson wriggled and tried to get away, but found he was too entangled
with Kai and the bed sheets. �That
tickles!�

�I know.� Kai continued tickling him mercilessly, smiling as Tyson gave up
and started giggling. Suddenly he found
himself on his back, an evilly grinning Tyson sitting on his legs and
straddling his waist. Kai blinked up at
him in shock. �How�d this happen?� He asked no one in particular.

�Ha! Got�cha!� Tyson
crowed. His triumph didn�t last long,
though, because Kai reached up and, throwing all caution to the wind, yanked
Tyson down until they were nose to nose and could feel each other�s breath on
their lips.

Tyson, surprised at the move but
certainly not fighting it, stared into flame-filled depths, his breath hitching
and his heart suddenly beating faster.
Something was about to happen and he knew it from the look in Kai�s
eyes.

Kai knew it, too. He felt Tyson�s (and his own) pulse speed up
and watched Tyson�s eyes go from clear midnight blue to a smoky deep
blue/violet that was like a pair of raw blue sapphires.

�Tyson�� He breathed, wanting it,
needing it.

Tyson leaned down just a little and,
still staring into Kai�s crimson depths, brushed his mouth across Kai�s in a
soft kiss. He watched the Phoenix�s
eyes ignite and felt his hand flex on the back of his head.

�Kai��

�Kiss me, Tyson�� Kai
whispered. �Please��

Unable to believe he was getting his
fondest wish (while Kai was thinking the exact same thing at that moment), he
complied and pressed his lips to Kai�s � this time a little harder. Twin groans rent the silence and their eyes
slid closed, each wallowing in the sensations that one simple act evoked in
them.

Tyson shivered and lightly touched
his tongue to Kai�s bottom lip hesitantly, asking for permission to do
more. Kai�s lips parted on a sigh and
Tyson slid his tongue inside, tasting, and exploring Kai�s moist cavern
thoroughly.

Kai made a throaty purring sound and
began to stroke Tyson�s back and shoulders with one hand, the other buried in
Tyson�s hair, feeling the need to touch him somehow, any way he could.

The kiss soon grew passionate and
wild. Tongues mated, hands roamed, and
heavy breathing and moans filled the room.

Even though he really didn�t want
to, Tyson stopped the kiss, breaking away slowly, nibbling on Kai�s lower lip
before just collapsing on top of the Phoenix, panting and pressing his face
into the hollow curve of Kai�s neck.
Kai wasn�t much better off, heart pounding and breathing ragged.

When Tyson though he could speak
coherently again, he turned his head slightly, brushing his lips over Kai�s ear
as he asked in a half-whisper, �Why?
When?�

Kai shivered and rubbed his cheek
against the Dragon�s. �I don�t
know. But it�s there�and, Gods forgive
me, I like it.� He felt Tyson�s nod of
agreement. �I could ask you the same
thing you know.�

� �When� is easy enough.� Tyson propped himself up on his forearms and
went back to lightly tracing Kai�s cheek with a fingertip. �I first realized how much I loved you just
after you�d left us and before we met out on that frozen lake. I guess it was when we came to the Abbey to
try and get you back and you gave me Dranzer.�
A single, silvery tear streaked down his cheek and he gave Kai a sad
smile. �Someone very wise once said
that you don�t know what you have until it�s gone. That pretty much says it all.�

Kai was stunned. He�d never imagined that Tyson had cared so
strongly back then. Tyson seemed to
recognize this in his expression because he chuckled. �Honestly, Kai, why do you think I fought so hard to get
you back? It wasn�t just because you
were my friend and my captain or because we needed you on the team to win the
Worlds � though those were all good enough reasons.�

�I never knew.� Kai stared up at him, a myriad of emotions
chasing each other through his eyes. �I
never dared to hope��

Tyson raised an eyebrow in amusement. �Well, you never were one to dare
anything. Oh sure, you�re the risk
taker of the group but it was always controlled and planned meticulously.� He winked at Kai. �I guess it�s safe to say you�ve changed some since then, huh?�

Kai�s crimson eyes were wide with
wonder and he reached up to dry the wetness from his Dragon�s cheek. �How did I deserve this?� He wondered aloud. �To have the one person I love � could ever love � return that
love is more than I�d ever believed possible.�

Tyson sniffled dramatically. �That�s so sweet!� He gushed, laughing when Kai rolled his eyes, smiling back.

�You idiot.� Kai poked Tyson in the side with one
finger. �Can�t you be serious?�

�I am being serious!� Tyson mock-pouted, but relented and pressed
a chaste kiss to Kai�s mouth. �I love
you, Kai. Always.�

�I love you, too, Tyson.� Kai�s eyes closed and he drew Tyson down,
intending to kiss him thoroughly.

A loud grumbling interrupted that
idea, however.

Tyson blushed sheepishly and gave an
apologetic grin. �Uh�I�m starved. Let�s go order that pizza I never got.� He untangled himself from his lover and got
up, casting an appreciative gaze over Kai�s muscular, silk-clad form on the
bed.

�Damn. I lucked out! How�d I
manage to fall for the hottest thing since fire?� He flashed a grin and dashed off to order their pizza, leaving a
blushing Kai (his face gone nearly as red as his pajamas) to follow at his own
pace.

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

~ End of
Chapter 4 ~

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

Chapter 5

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

Sunlight poured in through the
windows, striking Kai�s closed eyes and annoying him enough to open them,
blinking away their heaviness. He saw
that Tyson wasn�t with him � or even in the room � and Kai wondered what his
Dragon would be doing up so early.

A quick glance at the alarm clock,
however, told him it wasn�t that early after all.

�10:30!� A shirtless Kai (When had he lost that? The night before when he�d sat up with Tyson
watching movies, he now remembered) slid out of bed and padded out the door and
down the hall to find Tyson.

The young blader wasn�t in the
kitchen so Kai tried the living room.
When he found nothing but the half-tidied mess from the night before, he
decided there was only one place left to look.

Kai stopped in the doorway of the
dojo�s training room and stared. He�d
found Tyson, but not exactly how he might have expected. �Tyson?�
He whispered.

Tyson knelt on the floor in front of
his family�s sword, sitting back on his heels, wearing nothing but the pants of
his training gi. He was meditating, and
while that wasn�t abnormal the fact that he was surrounded by a strange, hazy
blue aura was. Kai could hear the
spinning of a blade and finally noticed Tyson�s beyblade in front of the
meditating teen, spinning away in place, also giving off a faint blue glow.

The amazed Phoenix slowly
approached, and with each step he felt the hair on his arms and on the back of
his neck stand up, his nerves tingling a little with static electricity. Kai could even smell the faint scent of
ozone on the air.

He cleared his throat and tried to
get Tyson�s attention. �Tyson? What are you doing?�

�Meditating. Talking to Dragoon.� Tyson replied, not moving a muscle or opening
his eyes. �Have a seat, love. I�m almost done.�

Kai nodded slowly, sinking to his
knees beside Tyson and waiting somewhat impatiently. A couple of minutes later, he watched the strange blue light
surrounding Tyson and his blade fade away.
Tyson held out his hand and the blade obediently returned to him. He opened his eyes and turned to look at Kai
with a serene smile on his face.

�Good morning! How do you feel today?� He asked the Phoenix. Tyson reached up and brushed a stray lock of
Kai�s hair from his face. �You look
well rested, love.�

Kai smiled softly at the
endearment. �I am. I do feel much better.� He crawled forward a little until he was
knee to knee with Tyson. �Did last
night really happen? Or am I dreaming
again? If I�m dreaming, please God
don�t wake me up.�

Tyson laughed, his blue eyes
sparkling. �It�s all real, Kai.� He pulled Kai forward and kissed him deeply,
tongue flicking over Kai�s in invitation.

�Oh Gods�� Kai moaned into Tyson�s
mouth, kissing back and reaching up to fist both hands in the Dragon�s
hair. �Yes�� Tyson pulled back a bit
and began placing hot, wet kisses back along Kai�s jaw and down the older
teen�s neck, nipping at sensitive skin with his teeth and licking to soothe.

�Mmm..Kai�� Tyson�s hands slid
teasingly up Kai�s sides, making him shiver with delight. �Gods, you taste good.� He moved his hands over Kai�s back, slowly
tracing the sculpted muscles he felt there and dragging his mouth lower over
Kai�s collarbone.

Kai gasped and arched his back
slightly, trying to get closer to that wet, hot mouth.

�Unh�Tyson�� Kai moaned again. �More��

Tyson smiled and abruptly
stood. Kai blinked in confusion and his
pleasure-fogged brain protested the sudden loss.

�What?�

�Not in here, love. The floor isn�t very comfortable and I,
personally, don�t want slivers in�places�� Tyson grinned and helped Kai to his
feet.

They didn�t get far. Halfway to their room (which took much
longer since they kept shoving each other up against the wall and kissing one
another boneless), the phone began ringing insistently.

�God damn phone�� Tyson muttered,
busily tracing Kai�s stomach muscles with his tongue. �Can�t whoever it is see we�re busy?�

�Ignore it!� Kai thrust his fingers through Tyson�s hair
and held him in place, wanting nothing more that for that entirely too skilled
tongue to keep on going. �Oh fuck,
Tyson�that�s so good!�

�But what if it�s important?� Tyson slid back to his feet, pressing the
length of his body against Kai�s and gave a frustrated growl. �It must be since the caller hasn�t given up
yet.� His arms banded around Kai�s
waist and he nuzzled Kai�s neck with his face.

The Phoenix wanted to scream with
frustration but acknowledged Tyson�s point, since the phone continued to
ring. �Answer it, then. Just hurry up!�

Tyson planted a quick kiss on his
mouth. �Hold on to that for me.� He grinned and dashed for the nearest phone,
which was in the living room.

�Hello?� Tyson answered, a bit breathless from previous activities and
from the mad dash to the phone.

�Hey, Tyson!� Rei�s purring voice poured over the
line. �How�s it going? How�s Kai?�

Tyson sighed in resignation. He should have expected his friends to call
after Kai�s health. �He�s fine,
Rei. He just needed some sleep.�

�Oh, good!� Tyson couldn�t see it, but Rei was smiling
widely and just a touch wickedly. �So
is training still on for this afternoon?
Kenny wanted to know.�

Tyson blinked. He�d totally forgotten about that. �Uh�let me ask Kai.� He turned to yell to Kai but ended up
yelping when he found himself face to face with his boyfriend.

A sexy, annoyed, hot and bothered
boyfriend.

�Who?� Kai demanded, hands on hips.

�Uh�Rei. Wants to know how you are and if there�s still training
today.� Tyson licked his lips
unconsciously, eyes traveling hungrily over Kai�s lithe form.

Kai plucked the phone from his
hands, returning Tyson�s look, and said, �Rei?
Yes, I�m fine, and yes, there is training today. Tell the Chief and Max that I want you all
here by two-thirty.� His eyes never
left Tyson�s as he spoke. �Now if
you�ll excuse us, Tyson and I were busy in the dojo.�

Then he hung up on Rei, just missing
the neko-jin�s sudden burst of giggles, and replaced the phone on its base with
a �click.�

Tyson grabbed Kai�s hand and dragged
him along, heading for their room. Once
inside, Kai kicked the door closed just as Tyson spun around and latched his
mouth to Kai�s in a hungry kiss.

�Now, I think�� Tyson moved down
Kai�s body, planting quick, wet kisses as he went. �I was down here when we were interrupted.�

Kai let out a gasping moan and his
eyes nearly crossed when he felt Tyson�s hands slide up his legs and firmly
grasp his ass, kneading slightly. �Gods
above!� Kai leaned against the closed door
and drove his fingers into Tyson�s hair urging him on. �You�re a tease, love.�

�You noticed?� Tyson grinned slyly up at him, tongue
flicking out to dip into Kai�s navel.
His eyes were a deep dark blue and were almost hot with an unseen fire. Kai shivered at that look. �I want you.� Tyson�s voice was husky and full of want.

�You�ve got me.� Kai answered, as Tyson stood and walked
backwards to his bed, which happened to be closest to the door. Kai followed, only to be tumbled back onto
the bed and covered by an eager Tyson.
They kissed again, tongues twining and soft moans and gasps rang
musically in the silence. Kai�s hands
were busy trying to push Tyson�s pants off but having to fumble with the ties.

�Damn it!� Kai growled, trying to steady his shaking hands enough to undo
the knots. Tyson chuckled and sat up
briefly to help him, undoing one side while Kai worked at the others. Finally, Tyson wriggled out of them, pulling
off his boxers at the same time so that he sat thereon his heels, straddling
Kai�s waist, gloriously naked and hard as a rock. Kai made an appreciative noise, eyes turning dark � a deep
burgundy. He reached up and slowly
caressed Tyson�s skin, running his fingertips from the Dragon�s cheek down his
neck and over his chest, pausing to tease his nipples, making Tyson arch
slightly and his lips part on a quiet gasp.

Fingers still trailing lazily
downward, Kai smiled at Tyson�s wanton expression. �Beautiful.� He
murmured. �And mine.�

�Yessss�� Tyson hissed, closing his
eyes when Kai grasped his erection firmly and pumped lightly. His hips jerked and he covered Kai�s hand
with his own as Kai continued to stroke.
�Oh God, yes. Kai�� Unable to
take much more stimulation, Tyson pulled the Phoenix�s hand away and grasped the
waistband of Kai�s pajama bottoms and boxers, yanking them downwards and off.

He tossed them aside and drank in
Kai�s muscular, sculpted perfection.
�Fuck you�re gorgeous�� He rubbed his palms up Kai�s legs and brushed
the inside of his thighs lightly with his fingertips making Kai moan and
tremble slightly. Leaning down, Tyson
took his weeping erection in hand and brushed a thumb over the tip, wiping away
a few drops of pre-cum. He stared up at
Kai�s face with dark eyes. �What do you
want, lover? This?� He flicked his tongue over Kai�s tip,
satisfied at the little cry of need that escaped Kai�s throat. He hovered over Kai�s erection, his breath
hot and oh so close as he continued to tease.
�Or maybe this?� He abruptly
engulfed Kai in one motion, sucking hard and humming in the back of his throat.

Kai tossed his head back and cried
out, back arching and hands grabbing at the bed in a desperate attempt to hold
on to the tangible world. �Fuck!� He yelled.
�Tyson!� But the Dragon was busy
driving higher and higher ruthlessly.
Taking it one step farther, Tyson forced back his gag reflex and
swallowed Kai whole, pinning his hips to the bed when Kai bucked.

�Mmm�� Tyson purred, drawing back
slowly and licking away an impressive amount of pre-cum from Kai�s tip. �Fuck, Kai, you taste good.�

�Unh�Ty�I need�can�t�� Kai struggled
to regain some sense of rational thought.
He was close to begging and it was only his supreme will that stopped
him from doing so.

Tyson, satisfied with that and not
wanting Kai to beg�yet�decided to have mercy and took Kai into his mouth once
again. This time he wouldn�t let up
until they both got what they wanted.

Deep throating his Phoenix once
again, Tyson gently pushed Kai�s thighs apart and traded a finger up the inside
of one thigh, higher and higher, until he brushed Kai�s puckered entrance. Just that slight touch set Kai off and he
gave a hoarse shout, coming hard, pumping his essence into Tyson�s mouth. Tyson swallowed again and again, loving
every moment of Kai�s release.

Tyson released his lover, slinking
upward to curl himself around Kai and hold him while the Phoenix shivered and
made incoherent sounds of pleasure, recovering from his orgasm.

Kai�s breathing slowed and his heart
quit pounding in his chest like a galloping horse. He nuzzled Tyson�s neck and began planting little wet kisses over
him, murmuring. �Gods. Where did you learn that?�

Tyson propped himself up and smiled,
blushing just a bit. �I picked things
up here and there�TV, movies, books, various multimedia�� He gave Kai a very
hentai grin. ��My own imagination.�

Kai chuckled and drew him down into
a deep kiss, licking the corner of Tyson�s mouth to catch the few drops of his
own essence Tyson had missed. Tyson
shivered and let his hands wander over Kai�s body, somewhat sweaty from their
early exertions. The Phoenix groaned,
feeling his erection grow once again despite having just come explosively
minutes before. �Tyson��

�I can�t get enough of you�� Tyson
dragged his lips over Kai�s chest, teasing Kai�s nipples with teeth and
tongue. Kai arched his hips into
Tyson�s and felt the Dragon�s raging erection against his leg. �Gods�Kai!
I need you so badly��

Kai came to a decision then. Staring down at Tyson he said quietly,
�Tyson, lover, look at me.� When he
looked up, curiously, Kai continued, stroking his slate-black hair fondly. �You have given me so much, Ty-love. You�ve given me everything. I have very little to bring into this
relationship but I do have one thing: myself.�
Tyson frowned, opening his mouth to protest Kai�s statement but was
shushed by Kai�s finger being placed over his lips. �No. Don�t say what I
know you�re going to say. I�m doing
this because I want to and because I love you and trust you.�

�Kai�� Tyson�s beautiful blue eyes
went soft and his breathing hitched.

Kai relaxed completely in Tyson�s
arms, dropping every mask, shield and wall he�d ever built up around himself
and letting the Dragon see directly into his heart and soul. �I am yours Tyson. Take me. Claim me.�

Tyson shuddered, a few stray tears
escaping and sliding down his cheeks.
�Damn. How can I say no to
that?� He got up and grabbed a bottle
of hand lotion from his dresser. Then
he crawled back on top of Kai, dipping his head to kiss him thoroughly.

They broke apart, panting slightly
and Tyson nudged Kai�s legs apart with his knee. �Are you sure?�

�Never been more sure about
anything.� Kai licked his lips, watching
with flame-filled eyes as Tyson coated his fingers with the lotion
quickly. �I want you, Ty-love, inside
me, fucking me.�

Tyson trembled slightly at Kai�s
words, nearly dropping the bottle, using the lotion to lubricate Kai�s entrance
liberally before gently sliding one finger into him, carefully stretching
him. �I may be seme here, my love, but
you�re still my captain.� Tyson slipped
another finger inside, wriggling them a bit and causing a low gasping moan to
come from Kai. The Phoenix bit his lip
to keep from crying out and gripped the bed so hard his knuckles turned
white. �And since you�re my captain��
Tyson added a third finger and he brushed a bundle of nerves that made Kai�s
vision waver and sensations of extreme pleasure dance across every nerve ending
in his body. His hips moved of their
own accord with Tyson�s thrusting fingers and couldn�t stop himself from
moaning Tyson�s name loudly. ��Your
wish is my command.�

Tyson removed his fingers and Kai
whimpered, wriggling impatiently against his Dragon in demand. Tyson moved up, positioning himself so that
they were both comfortable and hovered over Kai. Fiery crimson met dark pools of midnight blue and Tyson thrust
forward. Two echoing cries split the
silence and Tyson froze, holding himself as still as he could to let Kai
adjust. �Fuck�Kai�� He buried his face
in the pillow next to Kai�s head and trembled.

Kai slid his hands up and down
Tyson�s sweat-slicked back and wrapped one leg around Tyson�s waist. He made a squeaking noise and whimpered at
the sudden wave of pleasure. �What are
you waiting for? A written
invitation?� His voice was raspy and
dark and Tyson nipped at his ear playfully.

�Sorry.� Tyson moved a bit and Kai arched his hips into him. They moaned long and loud and the Dragon
began to thrust, bringing his mouth down to Kai�s and stroked the Phoenix�s
tongue with his own, echoing the movements of their bodies.

�Ty�dear God�don�t stop!�

�I�d rather die.� Tyson panted, quickening his pace and
thrusting deeper, harder. He could feel
the end, so close and yet he wouldn�t let go until Kai did. He reached between them and stroked Kai�s
erection quickly and smiled smugly as he watched the Phoenix�s eyes go
blind. Leaning down, he whispered in
Kai�s ear. �Come. Come now.�

�I�Oh, FUCK!� Kai yelled and clutched at Tyson as his
release coated Tyson�s hand and both their stomachs. His muscles clenched around Tyson�s hardness and Tyson groaned
loudly, following Kai into blissful oblivion.

Still joined, the two lovers wrapped
themselves around each other and held on as they waited for their breathing to
slow and their pulses to quit pounding in their heads and ears. That, and to form coherent thoughts.

Neither of them knew how long they
lay there but Kai eventually broke the peacefulness. �Hmm�we�ve got to do that more often.� He purred in Tyson�s ear, flicking his tongue over the lobe and
planting tiny kisses over Tyson�s neck.

Tyson grinned and ruffled Kai�s hair
with one hand. �Count on it, my
love.� He pulled away from Kai and they
both gasped and shivered, their ultra-sensitive nerves sending small jolts of
pleasure spiking through their systems.
�Wow.�

�Oh God�I think I just came
again.� Kai gave a moaning laugh as
Tyson rolled off of him to stand next to the bed.

�Since we�re all sticky we should grab a shower.� He grinned down at Kai. �I bet you didn�t get any breakfast so
you�re probably really hungry.�

Kai sat up and glanced at the alarm
clock. �We should eat lunch before the
guys get here for practice.� He swung
his legs to hang off the side of Tyson�s bed and winced at the sharp pain in
his backside.

Tyson helped him to stand
slowly. �Sore?�

�Some. I�ll be fine.� Kai
followed him to the bathroom. �Let�s
hurry up with the shower, Ty-love. I�m
starved.�

After a quick shower (well, as quick
as they could make it since they couldn�t keep their hands off each other)
Tyson heated up the leftover pizza from the night before while Kai cleaned up
the living room from their movie night.
When they�d demolished their pizza, Kai remembered what he�d seen
earlier when Tyson had been meditating.

�So what was all that this
morning?� He asked, sitting on Tyson�s
lap and stretching out lazily over the length of the couch. �The �talking to Dragoon� thing I mean.�

Tyson smiled, remembering his
conversation with his bit-beast. He
took Kai�s hand and laced their fingers together, absently plucking at Kai�s
pant leg with the other hand.

Kai sighed. �Tyson?
Hello?� He squeezed his
boyfriend�s fingers.

�Sorry. Just thinking.� Tyson
turned his smile on Kai.

�Are you going to answer me?� He inquired, one eyebrow raised.

�Hmm. It was weird. I had
finished my training routine and I had some time to waste so I decided to
meditate. All of a sudden, Dragoon was
saying hello.�

�Has he spoken to you a lot since
the finals?�

�No. Not at all, really.
Sometimes I can feel him, feel his power, but he�s never said
anything.� Tyson shrugged. �I asked him about that. He said I wasn�t ready yet for it. He only spoke to me at the Worlds because it
was an emergency and he wanted me to know that he could speak to me.�

�When you were ready? What did he mean?�

Tyson frowned thoughtfully. �He didn�t really say. We kind of got off topic and I forgot to
ask.�

�Tyson�do you think�Dranzer will
ever talk to me?� Kai asked, voice
quiet and a little wistful.

Tyson raised their joined hands and
kissed Kai�s fingers. �I�m sure of
it.� He smiled and tugged Kai up, pulling
him into his arms and back against his chest.
Nuzzling his boyfriend�s neck affectionately, Tyson said, �I could teach
you the meditation technique I use.
Maybe you could use it to communicate with Dranzer.�

�I�d like that.� Kai leaned back contentedly, resting his
head on Tyson�s shoulder and closing his eyes.
�Thank you, Ty-love.�

�Anything for you, Kai. I love you.�

Kai yawned. �I love you too.�

�I don�t suppose we could cancel
practice this afternoon?�

�Not on your life.�

�Damn.�

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

~ End of
Chapter 5 ~
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