I WANTED TO BE STUPID FOR ONCE
"Why did you let me back on the team?" Kai asked looking across at his red-headed friend. Tala simply sighed and leaned on the railing as he looked out over the sea.
"Because." He replied simply.
"Because of what?" Kai snapped infuriated.
Tala shook his head, Kai would never understand if he told him and so he simply started to walk away. However the bluenette was determined to get an answer and roughly pulled the older teen back. "Goddamn it Tala can't you just talk to me for once?"
"You wouldn't understand." Shaking off Kai's hand, Tala continued walking.
"Try me."
"Alright." The Russian rounded on the Japanese and looked him straight in his blood red eyes. "I wanted to be stupid for once. See, I told you you wouldn't understand." With that, he ran off and Kai knew it was useless chasing after him.
Kai scrambled through the skylight and onto the roof where he quickly spotted Tala gazing up at the stars, and jacketless. Just like he had been for the past 3 hours. Shaking his head at his team mate's childish folly, he draped a blanket over Tala's shoulders and joined in gazing.
"Will you explain it to me now?" the bluenette whispered softly. Tala shot a look at him and Kai was surprised to see sadness residing there.
"Why do you care? You were never my friend really were you Kai? You just befriended me in the abbey because Boris and Voltaire wanted you to convince me to let them change me into a cyborg."
"It only started out that way. And I knew all the time that it was wrong, I knew how little you trusted anyone, even Bryan. Though you and him were like brothers. After a bit I forgot about convincing you to be a cyborg. I wanted you to stay as Tala, my friend."
The red-head turned away and said nothing. "I knew when I let you back on the team you were only using us." He said eventually, "But I still did. I just wanted to pretend for a little bit that you wanted to be my friend again. Bryan and Spencer knew but they promised both to talk about it. To try and trust you. I just wanted to be stupid for once and be able to hope and imagine what it would be like if we were friends again. I always have to see through everything Kai! Why is it me who always has to be clever and in charge and strong and looking after everyone? Why can't I look up one time and ask for help? Why can't I be stupid?"
Kai reached out and pulled the elder boy into a hug. "You can't be stupid 'cuz you're Tala. If you weren't clever then you wouldn't be Tala. I wanted to be your friend again Tal but we'd both changed so much, I was afraid of hurting you again. Bryan made it perfectly clear that if I ever made you cry I'd be picking up my teeth with broken fingers."
The red-head mustered a smile and Kai offered him a hand. "Friends?" he asked Tala.
Tala grinned and his eyes sparkled hopefully. Kai had never seen him smile so freely before.
"Friends." Tala agreed and placed his hand in Kai's.
And they've been friends ever since.