One of my friends dared me to write a TyKa...and this is what I came up with.

Tyson wandered through the corridors of Kai's mansion, peeking into rooms as he passed them. It was late, he knew. All the others were in bed, and he couldn't sleep, so he'd decided to explore. He turned another corner and the faint sounds of music fell upon his ears. He looked from side to side, then followed the noise.

Eventually, it led him to the end of a corridor. He pushed open the door and peered around it. He bit back a gasp as he looked around the room. It was massive, much bigger than any of the rooms in Tyson's own house, and filled with paintings and statues. He walked forwards, toes scrunching up in the fluffy carpet. The music stopped abruptly.

"What are you doing in here?"

Tyson spun round. Kai was standing there glaring at him, leaning on an old piano. "Were you...just playing, Kai?" Kai didn't reply, so Tyson took it as a yes. "It was really good..."

"You didn't answer the question."

"Well...I couldn't sleep. So I went for a walk. And then I heard playing, so I followed it to here. Will you...play for me?"

"Why?"

"I like music. Please, I want to hear it again..."

"We don't always get what we want, Tyson."

"Please?"

Kai stared at him for a while, then reached down a hand, tapping out a babyish tune, obviously mocking him. "I meant proper music. Like you were playing before."

"How do you know it was me playing? I never said it was me."

"Stop being so...-defensive- Kai!" Exclaimed Tyson, moving closer. "It's not like I'm asking you to cut off your fingers or anything!"

Kai glared at him, arms folded, then sat down. His fingers ghosted over the keys, then he started playing again. A haunting melody washed over Tyson and he closed his eyes. He had never known Kai could play piano at all, let alone known that he was this good. After a while he opened his eyes again and looked down at Kai. The russian's face was a mask of concentration as his fingers danced over the keys, feet occasionally pressing down on the pedals.

With one last note the music died away and Kai looked up. His glare was still present, although not as hostile as before. "You're really good...when did you learn?"

"A long time ago. Before the abbey...when my parents were still alive."

"Who taught you?"

"My mother." Kai looked suddenly sad and Tyson laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"You're really good."

"I practice."

Tyson sat down next to Kai and ran a finger along the notes without pressing them down. There was a thud, and then Kai's mouth opened. "You've broken it!"

"W-What! Oh my God! Kai, I'm so...sorry..." He trailed off as Kai started smirking. "It's not broken, is it?"

"No."

"You're horrible." Tyson pushed down one of the keys, then one up from it, and one down. Kai's fingers found the same notes an octave lower, and played the childish little tune he'd played before. Suddenly Tyson recognized it. "Mary had a little lamb!" Kai played it again, and Tyson followed clumsily, fingers not used to moving in that way. He pulled a face and took his fingers away. "Guess I'm not so good."

"You've never played before. No-one plays well from the very start. Except maybe Beethoven, or Bach..."

"What, even you?"

"What do you think?"

Tyson thought about it, but he couldn't see anything other than a miniature Kai, scarf and all, playing perfectly. "I don't think you've ever been bad at anything."

"Then you're an idiot." Kai replied simply.

"Well come on then, what were you ever bad at?"

"I was never any good at tennis..."

"Tennis? Is that it?"

Kai shrugged. "There are lots of things I couldn't do. Things I still can't do, in fact."

"Oh? Like what?"

Kai looked down, as if shy. "Making friends. I was never any good at that. And I'm still not." Inwardly, he cursed himself. Why was he telling Tyson that? Tyson was quiet for a while. "I'm your friend. And Max is, and Rei, and Kenny. And Hilary likes you."

"But you barely know me."

"You don't give us a chance to." Kai frowned, but Tyson continued. "You should talk to us more."

"About what?"

"Well...anything. What you like, what you don't. Who you have a crush on, what you want in the future, you know..." Kai was silent for a couple of minutes.

"I like my cat."

"You have a cat?"

Kai nodded, and smiled softly. "I adopted her. She was a stray, so I looked after her. I brought her here with me, and I found her a friend." He looked up at Tyson, happiness in his eyes. "She's going to have kittens." Tyson grinned.

"Cool! What's she called?"

"Matruska. And her friend is Mokotame."

There was a mewing from behind the piano and a cat wriggled out. It was fat and pale, and it looked up at Kai adoringly. He picked it up and hugged it, smiling. "What are you doing in here, Mati? Did you think I was calling you?" Tyson was amazed at the change the cat wrought in Kai's demeanor. It was the same question as Kai had asked Tyson before, only quieter, gentler, and with more concern. Matruska looked over at Tyson and meowed enquiringly. "That? That's Tyson." Kai shifted round and Matruska stepped onto Tyson's lap, rubbing her head against him affectionately. Tyson stroked her awkwardly, then smiled. "She's purring!"

There was a sudden clanking of piano notes and another cat appeared, a grey tabby. It also was fat, but Tyson could tell that this one was just fat, not pregnant. It glared at Tyson and hissed, stalking along the piano and making it clunk angrily. He passed Kai, who picked him up and ruffled his fur. "He's not stealing her Moko."

Matruska meowed again, as if confirming what Kai had said, and stood up. She stretched, then jumped to the floor. Mokotame followed her, purring concernedly. They disappeared round the door and Tyson and Kai watched them go, smiling. "You're so lucky, Kai."

"I know. But you know what I like now, so what about you?"

"You know what I like! Food! Oh, and beyblading..." He added as an afterthought. "But mostly food. So what about the things you -don't- like?"

"My Grandfather. I don't think it's humanly possible to hate anyone any more than I hate him." Tyson blinked at the fury in Kai's voice and the poisonous look on his face.

"Why do you hate him?"

"Because if it wasn't for him, I would have been happy. I would never had gone to the abbey. I may never have even started beyblading. I wouldn't be such a bastard now if he had left me alone when I was younger! It irritates me even more, though, because he's the only family I have left now!" Kai's fist's clenched and he smashed them down on the piano. Tyson laid a hand over one of the clenched fists and squeezed gently. "But you're not with him now. You have us now. We'll be your family. Your beyblading family! You know, like Raul and Julia and their circus family!" He shuddered suddenly. "Now there's something I don't like. I don't like clowns. They're scary..."

Kao raised his eyebrows. "You don't like clowns?"

"Nope. Hey..." Tyson's eyes glittered. "We both what what we like and hate...so what about who you have a crush on?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Aww, c'mon, Kai. Hey, I know, I'll guess."

"Fine. Guess away."

"Mariah?"

"No."

"Emily?"

"No."

"...Hilary?"

"No!"

"Ming-Ming!"

"No. It's not a girl."

"Right. Well...Rei?"

"No."

"Max?"

"No."

Tyson folded his arms. "Brooklyn? Hiro? Kenny? Tala? Lee?"

"No, no, no, no, and no. You're not even close."

"Why don't you just tell me?"

"Because if I tell you, it'll ruin everything."

"What? Don't be all weird on me, Kai! Just tell me!"

Kai closed his eyes. "It begins with a T. And ends with an yson." Tyson considered this.

"Really?"

"Really."

There was a long silence, then Tyson leaned over and kissed Kai's cheek. Kai's eyes shot open and Tyson smiled at him. "You never asked who I liked!"

"...Who do you like?"

"You."

Kai nodded and smiled softly. Then he frowned slightly and stood up, holding out his hand. Tyson took it and Kai led him out, through a maze of corridors, to another door. "I never let anyone else in here. Not even Mati or Moko." He opened the door and walked in. Tyson followed him in, and gasped. He was in an enormous library, full of books of every size and shape. Kai looked around lovingly, tracing his hand along the spines nearest to him. "They were all my mother's. Every single last one."

Tyson nodded, understanding. Kai had brought him here to show him he trusted him, and Tyson wasn't going to betray that trust, ever. He took hold of Kai's hand again. "Thank you for showing me."

"It felt right to. Maybe it's time I let someone else in..."

Tyson had the distinct feeling that Kai wasn't talking exclusively about the library. He said nothing, just put his arms round Kai's waist and smiled. Kai smiled in return, then put his own arms around Tyson's back, pressing Tyson against himself lovingly. "You asked me what I wanted in the future..." Kai rested his head against Tyson's, whispering. There was a long silence, then Kai spoke again.

"I don't want anything other than you..."

Tyson smiled, finding that he agreed. He leaned back and kissed Kai shyly. "We might not always get what we want...but we do sometimes..." He whispered. Kai nodded, and kissed Tyson again.

"Sometimes..." He agreed.

They walked to the window and gazed out into the night, watching shadows flicker across the moon, safe in each others arms.

fin