This is for my Turkey, who turns 20 (!!) today (which is only the 31st for me ... stupid time zones ...). It's actually the beginning of a longer oneshot I'd planned, but as ususal, I got stuck. So I decided it might as well go to my fellow KaiMax fangirl. XD (glomps Turkey)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Enjoy!
The sun was low on the horizon, though still daylight-bright. It would be a few hours yet before it became a red penny, sliding slowly down into the dark slot of the ground and taking the light with it; game over, who's the winner?
"You look like I feel," Max joked, leaning on the railing of the bridge and staring out over the river, copying Kai's posture. With a slight scoffing sound, Kai moved a little to accommodate him and sank back into his thoughts.
"You confused too?" Out of the corner of his eye he could see Max's lips curve into a tiny, wry smile at his lack of response. "You're nothing if not predictable, Kai."
Kai bristled. Unperturbed, Max carried on breezily,
"It's not just you making the decisions, oh sourpuss." He flashed Kai a cheeky grin in an attempt to subdue Kai's irritation at the old nickname, which, to both their surprises, worked.
"Really?" Kai said flatly. Of course he knew that Max and Ray had to make the same decisions over team loyalty as this year's World Championships became a future reality rather than an uncertainty that depended on funds. It was rude of Max to insinuate otherwise.
They just didn't have the same problem.
Tyson. The lost battles, the lost years, didn't make him less determined and certain that one day, he would defeat him, publicly if possible, and take the title that could have been his – should have been his.
He was already getting itchy feet. Mooching around in the dojo day after day, waiting for training time at the ramshackle hut called BBA headquarters or a call from Mr Dickenson wasn't his ideal way of spending four months, by far.
"I don't know which is worse," he heard Max say, very softly. He turned his head towards him.
"What's worse?" he asked, oddly curious. Max's face went blank for a split second – ever astute, Kai guessed Max's thoughts were suddenly racing.
"Whether to choose, or to let the choice go to Mr D and Mom," he replied easily. Kai made an amused sound in the back of his throat.
Good dodge, Maxie.
"Your choice is Tyson, isn't it?"
"Huh?"
"Whatever Tyson decides," Max continued by way of an explanation. Kai shrugged.
"Maybe."
"Whatever Tyson decides will be your choice at first, then in reverse, because you can't choose between sticking with a friend and satisfying your ego." Max returned Kai's angry look with a sad little smile. "Like I said. We're all the same."
"We're not!" Kai didn't realise he had spoken aloud until Max chuckled wryly.
"Yeah. That's true. You don't even care about the title anymore, it's all Tyson – it's always Tyson." There was an odd note to Max's voice that made Kai look sideways at him again, confusion fighting through the sulky anger at Max's accusations.
"Yeah," he said slowly, "so, what's it to you if it is?"
Max shifted awkwardly, leaning forwards on his arms and shuffling his feet before he asked, lightly,
"Well, what about Ray?" Kai merely raised his eyebrows in response. "What about me?"
"What about you?" Kai's gaze was still fixed firmly on the thin line of the setting sun over the horizon and from the corner of his eye he saw that Max's was likewise.
"Do you never think about me?"
Out of the corner of his eye, Kai saw Max's head swing round, felt his stare prickling the side of his face. He turned his head and involuntarily took a step backwards.
Max's eyes were fixed on his face, intent, the look somehow soft and burning hot simultaneously. His eyes were always bright blue before, now almost luminescent, his eyelids wide apart. His mouth was open just a fraction, a bare glimmer of enamel white stark against his lips.
Kai stood there, paralysed. He could feel the emotion coming off Max in waves; what did he want? Max took two steps forward, quick, clumsy, the movement sending a rebellious tuft of hair tumbling down over his left eye and putting him well into Kai's personal space, staring up at him still with that amazing, terrible intensity.
Kai realised what was happening a split second before Max closed the distance between them completely and kissed him gently.
That was my first kiss? some small, detached part of him complained. Then, bolder now, Max put one hand on Kai's waist, the other gripping the back of his neck. Their mouths opened in unison, and the part of Kai's mind that was still functioning told him that this was much better, thank you.
--
"I did it, Hilary." Max didn't realise he was quivering like a jellyfish as he joined her outside until Hilary grabbed his wrist and showed him.
"I guessed that – what happened?" she demanded. Her grin turned mischievous, "Or can I guess that too?" as she plucked at his T-shirt, giggling at the visible seams and label.
Inside out.
Cheeks blazing with embarrassment, all Max could find the power to do was laugh and laugh until his throat hurt and he felt like crying from relief and, yet, apprehension.
They sat cross-legged on the porch, darkness above them and around them, faces lit only by the light coming from the television inside where Tyson and Kenny were watching the twenty-four-hour sports news, checking for (rare) updates on the status of the BBA that had made it to the news before Kenny's formidable information database.
As he tugged self-consciously at his T-shirt, Max remembered with a grin his first conversation along these lines with Hilary.
--
It had begun with the two of them discussing admiration crushes (he had no idea how they had got to that, mind you) and how powerful they could be despite being nonsexual. Hilary had then asked him, "What about if they turn sexual?" in an arch voice that implied she suspected something. Max had agreed that, yup, that could get much more complicated.
A few minutes of verbal fencing later, and Max fumblingly admitted to having a crush on someone. It took nearly four days of Hilary persistently begging, nagging and demanding to know before he gave in and told her it was Kai.
"Oh, him? I can see that, he's cute. Rude as hell, but cute," she'd replied with a little shrug. Max had gaped at her. He had just come out and owned up to liking their team captain! Hilary didn't seem to care less; she just thought it was interesting. Seriously, she was beyond belief.
--
"So? I still want to know what happened!" Hilary looked at Max, her expression a mixture of amusement and annoyance.
"Nu-uh, I'm not telling you!" Max stuck his tongue out at her. She scowled. Laughing, Max relented slightly. "We had fun, anyway. Then he walked away … but that's just Kai, so … I don't know what's going to happen now." He turned, ostensibly to look up at the moon, actually to avoid the look of pity that he just knew Hilary wouldn't be able to stop.
Review?
xIlbx