Tadaa! My first fic where Tyson and Max are the main pairing! I had to try doing one because I love this pairing but I've never had it as the main body of a fic yet. Kai and Rei are secretly dating, but Tyson has suspicions about Rei's sexuality (he doesn't know about Kai and Rei). However, when he thinks about it, he thinks Rei is gay because of the way he acts with Kai, but Tyson realises that that's how -he- acts with Max...

This is a oneshot, by the way.

Oh, and it's my 50th posted story! I'm so happy! SQUEE!


"Hey, Max!" Tyson leaned on the banisters halfway up the stairs. "Max, come on! We're waiting!" When there was no reply he heaved a sigh and carried on up to the landing, reaching out and hammering on the door of Max's room. There was the sound of a groan and a muffled cough and then: "Yeah?"

"Max?" Tyson opened the door and walked in. "Max?"

"Tyson..." The heap of blankets on the bed grew a head. "I don't feel so good..." Tyson frowned.

"You're ill?" Max sneezed and nodded, so Tyson went over to the curtains and opened them.

"No, shut the curtains!" Max pleaded. "My head hurts..." Tyson obliged then sat down next to him and ruffled his hair.

"Should I go and tell Kai you're not going to be training today?" Max nodded and Tyson felt his forehead with concern. "Hey, you're burning up! Maybe I'll skip on training as well...you look like you need looking after..." Max smiled weakly.

"You just don't want to train 'cause Kai'll make you do-" He coughed, a pained expression clouding his face. "He'll make you do laps again..."

"Hey, I'm serious Max, you don't look well and you've got a fever... Hold on a sec."


"He's ill?" Asked Kai, one eyebrow poised like a dagger. Tyson nodded and Kai shrugged. "Fine then." He breezed past Tyson and walked into the house.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To see if he's really ill, or just exaggerating." Tyson didn't know why, but the thought of Kai checking up on Max made him...kind of angry, and at the same time, kind of jealous too.

His jealousy was not assuaged, however, when Kai sat down next to Max, felt his forehead and looked in his mouth. Tyson couldn't pinpoint exactly why he was jealous...but Kai was touching Max...his Max! Tyson stood stock still. 'His Max'? Where had -that- come from?

Kai eventually had to concede that Max was genuinely ill. "But you still have to train, Tyson!" Max sniffled and looked up pathetically. "Can't he keep me company? I'll get bored on my own up here..." Kai frowned.

"Fine. But that just means you'll be doing extra laps tomorrow." Kai walked out and shut the door quietly behind him. Tyson sat down next to Max and hugged him. Max smiled and relaxed into the embrace. "My head feels like someone's stamping on it..." Tyson stroked his hair softly, still puzzling over the whole 'his Max' thing. Did he regard Max as his? Well, yeah. But why?

While he was busy puzzling Max fell asleep. Tyson laid him on his side to help with his breathing and then went over to the window. Rei and Kai were outside, having a practice match. As he watched, Kai blasted Driger out of the dish, then smiled. Tyson watched more intently, intrigued. Kai the mighty iceberg, smiling? Surely not! What happened next was not only shocking, but also quite amusing; Rei walked over to Kai and wrapped him in a hug, making Kai gasp and stutter.

Tyson smiled, then laughed a little. He had always had his suspicions about Rei's preferences, but this proved it! But then...Rei was only hugging Kai...he had hugged Max...did that make him gay? No, certainly not. Rei must have been hugging Kai in a highly platonic way, nothing more. "What are you laughing about?" Tyson jumped about five feet in the air and turned. Max was looking up at him sleepily, hair tousled and golden and smooth and...

Tyson shook his head, trying to get rid of all the scary thoughts that were popping up there. "Uh...Rei...hugged Kai...sort of..." He blushed. Max yawned and burrowed down into his blankets. "Rei hugs everyone." Not like that he doesn't! Tyson wisely kept that thought to himself and smiled his usual lazy grin.

"Yeah. Don't think Kai was expecting it though." He glanced out of the window and nearly died. In the space of time it had taken him to turn and talk to Max, Rei and Kai had descended from hugging to passionate kisses with additional groping! "Uh..."

"What are they doing now? Killing each other?" Max giggled then groaned. "That hurts..."

"Yeah, I'll...get you...some medicine...and stuff..." Tyson nearly sprinted out of the room, heart pounding. What was going on with the world today? Kai and Rei were...having a gay revelation, and Max was ill...

Tyson smiled at the thought of Max lying there all tousled...in a bed... "Ack!" He banged his head off the bathroom wall. What was -wrong- with him? Max was his friend! Tyson paused. "I'm not gay." He said aloud to the mirror. He could have sworn his reflection was laughing at him. He raided the medicine cabinet and took it all back to Max.

As he walked in, he dropped the bottle of medicine and the box of pills on the floor with a thud. Max was lying on top of the blankets, sweating...and shirtless... Tyson swallowed then picked up the medicine again. "Uh...here you go..." Max felt for the drink on his nightstand but couldn't reach it. Helpfully, Tyson picked it up and handed it to him. Their fingers met for a brief second and Tyson pulled his hand away as if he had been scalded. For a while afterwards his skin tingled, echoing Max's touch. When Max had taken some medicine he flumped back on his pillows. "Tyson, can I have a hug? I feel awful..."

"Uh..."

"Please?" How could he resist such a gorgeous face? Wait a minute...gorgeous! Tyson shook his head and laid down next to Max, putting one arm over him and one arm under him, holding the blonde close to his chest. The thought of Max being so close to him made his pulse quicken in a most unwelcome fashion and he jumped up. Max groaned again and frowned. "What's-" He coughed harshly. "What's wrong with you today?"

"W-What!"

"You're being...weird..."

"Uh...I'm gonna...go...and get a drink..."

"Can you bring me one? Actually...I'll come-" The word sparked an unwelcome and entirely unwholesome thought to pop up in Tyson's brain and he panicked slightly.

"No! No, uh, that's okay! You're ill, you need to rest!" Tyson dived out of the door, down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he stuck his head in the fridge and banged the door off it. "What is -wrong- with me!" He asked, bouncing the cold metal off his head angrily. Why is me making me blush? Why can't I hug him? I'm not gay, dammit! He's Max, and he's not a girl! It's not like I fancy him or anything, because I'm not gay!"

"You sure sound like it."

"Uwaa!" Tyson fell over in shock. Scrambling up, he saw Rei leaning against the table, looking amused. "I...uh...I'm not...gay or anything..."

"Tyson, you're banging a fridge door off your head and talking about blushing around Max and fancying him."

"I'm not gay..."

"Scared?" Tyson put his hands on his hips, glowering.

"What d'you mean, scared?"

"You're scared of being gay, even though it's painfully obvious that you are! And you're scared of Max, 'cause subconsciously you're afraid of being rejected because you," Rei pointed at Tyson with one long, tan finger. "Are in love with him. Shut the fridge when you go back up." Rei walked out, leaving Tyson standing there like an idiot.

He slammed the fridge shut and then poured out a glass of water. He carried it upstairs, feeling definitely out of sorts with himself. He found Max lying listless and glistening, having abandoned his trousers as well. Tyson's eyes were drawn inexplicably to the tight black boxers his friend...lover...boyfriend...crush...-acquaintance- was wearing. "Um. Water. Sort of." Max looked at him strangely as he took the water.

"Tyson...are you okay?" Max opened his mouth to speak and sneezed, jolting and thus spilling his water all over himself. Tyson almost died. "Jesus..." He whispered under his breath. It suddenly seemed ridiculous to want any woman when this beautiful creature was sitting in front of him, semi-naked and dripping. It was like seeing Max in a whole new light...

Max looked at him and then laughed croakily. "What, wet and half-naked is your new thing, Tyson?"

"Uh-wha? I mean...uh..."

"That..." Max spluttered with laughter. "That's why you've been staring at me!" Tyson blushed furiously, feeling crushed. Max was laughing at him. Max didn't want him...

He turned, then walked to the door. "Hey, where are you going?"

"Out. I'm going to do laps with Kai and Rei."

"Why? Tyson, come back! I wasn't laughing at you...like that..." Tyson turned, glaring.

"So how were you laughing then!"

"I was-" Max started to cough uncontrollably, struggling for breath. Tyson sat him up and stroked his back, getting wet in the process. He pushed the now empty glass to the floor and wrapped his arms tightly around Max, burying his face in his beautiful blonde hair. He was vaguely aware of Max tightening his arms around his neck and leaning to whisper in his ear. "Tyson?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you come out with me sometime?"

"Yeah, that'd be cool, like when we made Kenny come skating-"

"Without Kenny."

"I'd like to see Rei on roller skates too, so-"

"Not with Kenny -or- Rei. Just me and you."

"Uh..." Tyson blushed. "Max, are you just teasing me or do you mean that?"

"Mean what?"

"Um...forget it. It doesn't matter."

"What's bothering you?"

"Would it be...like...a date? 'Cause I think I like you like that and I know it's probably really weird but if-"

"It could be a date...if you wanted it to be..." Tyson's heart started to thud in his chest.

"Max...are you really...do you...like guys? You swear you aren't teasing me?"

"I'm not..." Max sneezed explosively and nuzzled into Tyson's chest. "I'm not teasing. But I never would have thought you'd be gay...so...I never said anything..." Tyson held Max tighter against himself, then drew back slightly.

"I've never...kissed another guy before...could we-?" Max shook his head.

"I'm ill. You'll only get diseases off me."

Tyson pressed his lips gently to Max's and smiled. "I don't mind. We could be ill together." Max smiled back and kissed Tyson again, moaning softly as Tyson's tongue explored his mouth.


"Max? Are you o..." Kai paused, seeing the kiss-fest that was happening in front of him. "...kay." He went back out and shut the door, going back downstairs to where Rei was sitting on the kitchen table reading the newspaper. "You talked to him, didn't you?" Rei peered over the top of the paper.

"I might have done."

"Might have done?"

"Probably did...but I'm not going to tell you that now am I?"

"Rei..."

"What?"

"You -did- say something, didn't you?" Rei smiled and lifted the paper back up to hide his smirk. Kai grabbed the top of the paper and pulled it down. "Newsflash. Admit it or you aren't getting any for a month." Rei pouted but Kai shook his head.

"Fine, I admit it." He put the paper down and smiled evilly. "Kai...if they're busy...and Kenny's out with Emily..." Kai picked up the paper and walked into the living room.

"If they're busy and Kenny's out, I'm going to do some reading, in peace!" Rei folded his arms and frowned. Kai was being so mean... but he'd have time for revenge later...

fin


R&R please!

Ellen: Assauged Ass-waged. Sort of. Or that's how I pronounce it, but I'm English, so I might say it differently...