Author's Notes: This started as an attempt at a Valentine's Day fic way back in February. This is what came out. It has nothing to do with anything remotely related to V-Day. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy! It's like... a stupid fluffy thing.

Warnings: Boys kissing. That's all. Basically, no warnings necessary. :)

Leaving

Kai walked away from the luggage drop-off, holding a slim leather briefcase as his only carry-on item. His eyes scanned the enormous terminal before he found a sign that pointed into the direction of his designated gate number. People bustled to and fro, hauling heavy suitcases, children, and late evening snacks. It was approaching nine that night. His flight was scheduled to begin boarding at nine-twenty.

As he walked, he thought about his last few weeks here in Japan. He hadn't seen Rei in over a year, but he called frequently enough from his home in China. The same was the case with Max, except the energetic blonde had come to visit from America just a month before. When Kai had called them up and told them his plans of leaving, they had been surprised, but nonetheless said that they would support him no matter what he chose to do. Max had been the first to ask what Tyson's reaction had been.

Kai stopped at a small Starbucks to buy coffee, then continued the long walk down the airport to his gate. Tyson's reaction had been puzzling and unexpected, and it had taken Kai a full twenty-four hours to admit to himself that he had been disheartened by the younger boy's response.

He didn't seem to care.

It had been over lunch at an outdoor café one day, with Kai picking at his food while trying to decide how to break the news, and Tyson stuffing his face across from him. When Kai had built up the courage to tell Tyson that in three weeks, he'd be leaving to start up a business in Europe, Tyson had simply blinked at him and paused for a moment.

"Why would you go to Europe?" had been his reply.

"To start my own company."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Tyson had laughed and popped another bite into his mouth. "You're weird, Kai."

And that had been it. There had been no mention of how much he'd be missed, no tantrums demanding that he stay in Japan, no nothing. Whenever Kai brought it up, Tyson would laugh easily, and a week before his departure, Tyson had actually taken him shopping for a warm winter coat, saying that it would be cold in Europe and he didn't want him to freeze. Kai didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or slap Tyson in the face.

He hadn't called him before he left for the airport. He'd told Tyson over and over the date of his departure and the time his flight would take off. Kai found his gate and sat in a seat where he could watch the planes take off through the massive windows. He put his suitcase down and sipped his coffee, his eyes taking a glance at his watch. In a little over ten minutes, he'd board his flight to Europe, putting almost everything familiar to him in the past.

That first step would be difficult. Japan had been his home for a long time now, ever since the first time Tyson had taken the title of world champion. He'd decided to stay after he realized that he really didn't have anywhere else to go since he wasn't going to live with his grandfather. With Rei and Max back in their respective countries, what was left of the former Blade Breakers consisted of himself, Tyson, and Kenny, along with Hilary.

Over the years he and Tyson had spent countless hours together, having beybattles for old time's sake, reminiscing, and bonding. He'd never forget soon after they'd hit college, Tyson had had a panic attack at the workload that was suddenly being expected of him, and immediately went to Kai for help. What ensued was a rigorous six-week study plan designed by Kai himself that made Tyson regret asking for his aide, but he'd come out a better and more prepared student. Kai let out a light sigh and absently studied his coffee cup. Yes, the first step would be difficult, what with all the good memories he had.

But it was time to move on. He couldn't stay here forever. He needed to focus on his career, and Europe held promise for the type of corporation he wanted to begin. He was adequately equipped with a master's degree in business and finance, and the fact that he was very wealthy would also help.

It's just as well that there's no one here to see me off. Kai watched a plane move away from the port and begin its descent down the runway. I'll give Tyson a call when I reach a hotel.

"Gate number thirty-seven, flight to Europe, will begin boarding now," the woman at the desk near the entrance announced. Kai drained his cup and reached for his briefcase. He'd be one of the first to board since he was flying first class, after all. She began calling seat numbers. Kai stood and gazed out of the window, taking one last look at the place he had called home for so long.

"Kai!"

He turned around upon hearing his name. All he could see was the hubbub of people bustling by, looking for their flights.

"Kai! Kai!"

Then he spotted him. He couldn't go by the yellow shirt and red jacket anymore since Tyson had long since added more colors to his wardrobe, but the backwards baseball cap had never changed.

"Kai, wait!" Tyson pushed his way through the crowd and ran up to the sitting area, stopping in front of Kai before doubling over and catching his breath. Kai looked surprised to see him and waited for him to be able to say something, even though he heard his seat number being called. They still had to board the other passengers, so he had time. Tyson took a few deep gulps of air and straightened.

"I'm glad I wasn't too late," he said, panting lightly. "I have to tell you something."

"Yes?" Kai asked, running his thumb over the handle of his briefcase. Tyson looked directly into his eyes.

"Don't go."

Kai tilted his head slightly. "Tyson…"

"Don't go. You can't leave, Kai."

"You didn't seem to mind so much when I first told you," Kai pointed out. Tyson frowned and looked down broodingly.

"I know I didn't make a big deal out of it. I… I didn't think you were serious."

Kai contemplated laughing aloud at that statement. "Did you think I was joking?"

"Well, no, but… I didn't think you'd actually go."

"You bought me a five-hundred dollar coat when you didn't think I would actually go?" Kai arched an eyebrow. Tyson let out an irritated breath.

"I don't know what I was thinking! But right now I know that you can't go. Don't leave here."

"I have to. Everything is already set for my departure—my luggage, my flight, hotel reservations—"

"Kai, listen to me! I'm telling you right now that you can't go."

Kai gave him a slow look. "Tyson, what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing. Don't tell me you wouldn't act the same way if I told you I was gonna fly a thousand miles away and never come back."

"I never said I'd never come back. I can visit."

Tyson snorted. "Yeah, like once a year."

"I think I can manage to come a few more times than that."

"That's not the point! Right now whenever I need your help or when I want to talk to you or something, you're always there. I see you almost every single day. You can't just up and leave. Everything will be completely different."

"Tyson, you already knew I was leaving. I told you a long time ago."

"Well, I don't want you to go!" Tyson crossed his arms and stuck out his lip dejectedly. Kai shifted his weight and studied the dismal look on his friend's face. The lady at the desk was nearly finished boarding the other passengers.

"Sir, your seat is waiting," she said, hinting heavily that he should get on the plane. Kai glanced at her.

"Just a moment," he said, turning back to Tyson. He paused slightly, and Tyson lifted his eyes and looked at him.

"Kai," he began again. "Why do you have to go all the way across the world to start a business?"

"It's not all the way across the world and because right now that place is thriving; it's the perfect spot for me to begin."

"But you don't know anybody there. It took you like, a whole year for you to accept me as a friend. You're gonna be lonely."

"I'll be fine. Tyson, I have to go." Kai renewed his grip on his briefcase, then started when Tyson grabbed his arm.

"No! Don't go, you can't just leave me here!" Tyson implored, sincerity etched into his features. Kai felt a small tug in his chest. He placed his hand over Tyson's and gently pulled free.

"You're going to be fine, Tyson, believe me," he said. Tyson shook his head.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I really don't want you to go. Can't you… change your plans? Just this once… just for me?"

"That's… impossible."

"No, it's not! You can do anything you want," Tyson said stubbornly. "If you get on that plane, I'll never see you again."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is. You'll never come back. You'll have a whole new life and forget about everyone here. Kai, don't leave… I'm gonna miss you way too much."

Kai's eyes softened, and he felt a pang of sadness in his heart. "I'll miss you, too, Tyson, but…"

"Then don't go!"

"Tyson…"

"Please, Kai, don't leave. What is it, are you tired of staying here? Is this place boring? What happened, do you not like me anymore? Or Hilary and Kenny, did they get on your nerves or something? Did—"

"It's not any of those things."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"You already know why." Kai held up a hand as Tyson opened his mouth again. "Tyson, stop. Just take a deep breath and calm down."

Tyson sighed exasperatedly. "I can't calm down. If you set foot on that plane, I'll lose you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I will, and I don't want to!" Tyson came forward and flung his arms around Kai's waist, burying his face into his chest. Kai almost dropped his briefcase, but managed to set it down before gently returning Tyson's embrace.

"You're not going to lose me, Tyson," Kai said. Tyson snorted against his jacket.

"Yes, I will," he replied, his voice muffled. "You're gonna go and I'll never see you again."

Kai sighed. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because it's true."

"It's not and you know it. Why would I not come back to see you?"

Tyson was silent for a moment. "I don't know," he said grudgingly. "Why would you be leaving if you didn't hate me?"

"Tyson, that's ridiculous. I'm not leaving because I hate you," Kai said, rolling his eyes. Tyson paused before pulling back slightly.

"I still don't want you to go."

"You've made that pretty clear."

"Then don't. Just don't go."

Kai stared into his coppery eyes, a small frown creasing his forehead. "Sorry, Tyson."

"Don't you sorry me, Kai Hiwatari!" Tyson said, jabbing an angry finger in his face. Kai blinked in surprise as he went on. "Why don't you want to stay here where all your friends are? Do you think I'm annoying or something? You've been here for years now, and you suddenly decide that some stupid place where people speak funny and wear dumb French hats is where you want to be?"

"I'm not going to France," Kai managed to put in.

"Whatever! You're not being fair. You gave me like, no warning at all! And you won't even tell me what I did wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Sir," the woman at the desk said impatiently. Kai nodded at her.

"I'll be there, just a second." After I deal with a certain crisis named Tyson.

"Well, you know what, Kai? Fine. Go ahead and leave! I hope you're happy halfway across the world where you don't know anybody!"

"Tyson…"

"I was gonna give you something, but now I'm not. You know why? Because you're a big meanie-head." Tyson turned away, about to walk off. "Bye!"

"Tyson, wait."

The younger boy stopped and looked back reluctantly. "What?"

"What was it that you were going to give me?"

"Humph. You have a lot of nerve, Kai. I'm not telling."

Kai paused, then picked up his briefcase. He gave Tyson a long look. "I have to go. Are you sure you don't want to tell?"

Tyson squirmed for a moment. "Well…"

"Sir, you have to board now," the woman stated. "You're in danger of missing your flight."

"Okay, I'm coming." Kai turned and took a step toward the gate, reaching into his pocket for his boarding pass.

"Wait!" Tyson yelled, running forward. Without any further warning, he grabbed Kai roughly by the shoulders and pulled him down, their lips colliding against one another. In his surprise, Kai lost his grip on his suitcase and it dropped to the floor, falling on its side next to his feet. The woman let out an irritated sigh.

"Give me a break," she muttered.

Kai breathed in deeply, the scent of Tyson's hair and clothes reaching his nose. He felt Tyson's fingers on his shoulders, holding him there firmly as to not let him pull back until he was completely finished. After a full minute, Tyson broke off the kiss, his face flushed. Kai let out a breath as Tyson's hands fell away, gathering his bearings.

"That was what you wanted to give me?" Kai asked, disoriented. Tyson licked his lips and nodded.

"Now, bye. I hope you have a good trip," he said huffily, turning and walking away again.

"Wait!" Kai reached out and grasped his wrist, pulling him back. He gently put a hand on the back of Tyson's head underneath the bill of his baseball cap and brought his face forward before closing his eyes and giving him a kiss of his own.

The woman ground her teeth together, glancing at her watch.

Kai deepened the kiss, moving his lips in a way that sent streaks of electricity all the way down to Tyson's toes. Tyson wrapped his arms around Kai's neck, making a small groaning noise deep in his throat. A long moment passed before Kai slowly pulled back, his magenta eyes glinting in the light. Tyson looked up at him, unable to speak for a moment.

"K… Kai," he said, sounding dazed. "You just…"

"Sir, your flight is about to leave. Please board now," the woman said firmly. Kai bit his lip slightly and picked up his briefcase. He just kissed me and I kissed him back. Good Lord. What the hell is going on here?

"I'm sorry, Tyson, I have to go," he said softly. Tyson grabbed his arms.

"What? You'd just kiss me and leave like that?" Tyson gazed into his eyes desperately, disbelievingly. Kai hesitated and pulled back some.

"I… I have to go… now."

Tyson glared at him. "What would you do if I kissed you again?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Ah…"

"I kissed you because I wanted to. Kai… I don't know when this happened, but somewhere along the way, I…" Tyson paused, color spreading in his cheeks. He suddenly seemed uncertain, but the look in his eyes spoke of urgency, as if he needed to get this out in the open. "I…"

"You what?"

"I… I realized that I didn't want to be your friend anymore." Tyson shut his eyes tightly, clenching his fists. "I wanted to be more to you… I think there's more than just friendship between us!"

"You what?" Kai sputtered. Tyson let out a huge breath, sounding relieved.

"There, I said it. I meant it, too. That's what I really believe." He looked up at Kai's stunned expression. "Now it's up to you. And why do you sound so surprised? You kissed back, you know."

Kai groped for words, but found none within his grasp. He swallowed and stared into his friend's rich, dark eyes. He had never been put in a situation like this before, and frankly, he had no idea how to react. "Tyson…"

"Kai, you can't tell me that you don't feel the same way. If you say so, I'll absolutely refuse to believe it. There are way too many of these weird sparks flying between us and if you say you haven't noticed, you are blind."

"Then… you're not leaving me with much of a choice," Kai managed to say.

"Because I know I'm right." Tyson pointed a finger at his heart. "It's telling me that I'm right. I would never feel so afraid about your leaving if I didn't have feelings for you. I can't let you go."

Kai slowly drew in a breath. "You…"

"I like you, Kai," he said simply. "I really, really like you. You may not think so, but I believe that you're kind, caring, and incredibly wonderful. You've taught me so much, helped me in so many ways… I'm gonna be so mad at you if you leave!"

"I… Tyson," Kai said quietly, reaching out and grazing his fingers against Tyson's chin before letting his hand come to a rest on his shoulder. "You don't know how important you are to me."

"You wouldn't leave such an important person behind, would you?" Tyson asked, coming closer. He stopped when his face was inches away from Kai's. Kai's eyes softened and before he even realized what he was doing, he found himself shaking his head. Tyson slipped his arms around Kai's neck and looked deep into his eyes before gently kissing him again. He felt Kai's hands come to a rest on his waist.

The woman flicked her eyes heavenward. "Sir."

Tyson broke off the kiss for a moment. "Oh, buzz off already. You're not getting him on your stupid plane."

"Tyson…" Kai turned to the woman. "Sorry, he's a bit off in the brai—"

"No, sir, I'm sorry. You just missed your flight." She gave him a pointed look before stalking off to another gate. Kai watched her go and felt Tyson's finger nudge his chin back so that he was looking at him.

"I made you miss your flight," Tyson said with a devilish gleam in his eye. Kai frowned at him.

"You did."

"That means you're not leaving, right?" The younger boy grew serious for a moment, but not by much. Kai shifted and let out a sigh. Since when have you had so much power over me? This was supposed to be my career. Hell.

"I don't know. I don't seem to know anything anymore," Kai said, a brooding expression coming over his face. Tyson laughed lightly.

"That's a first. I never thought I'd hear those words coming out of your mouth."

"Neither did I."

"But really, Kai… don't leave. What's wrong with you? You would've really gone if I hadn't come here today. Bastard."

Kai smiled gently at the remark, realizing the truth in that statement. "Yeah, I really would have gone."

"You should know better, Kai," Tyson scolded. "I'm gonna keep a closer eye on you from now on. I knew you still had those stupid tendencies to run off to who-knows-where, but jeez. Europe? Extreme much?"

"It's not that far…"

"If it's not walking distance, then it's too far. Rule of thumb."

"Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem." Tyson stepped back and stuck his hands in his pockets while Kai picked up his briefcase and his empty coffee cup, tossing it into a nearby trashcan. He pulled out his boarding pass and glanced at it for a moment.

"You know this ticket cost me fifteen hundred dollars, right?" Kai gave him a look.

"You shouldn't be throwing money around like that," Tyson said, a knowledgeable look coming over his face. Kai raised his eyebrows.

"Me? You're the one that just threw it out the window!" he accused. "You could have at least let me go and get my money's worth after making me promise to come back after a month or so."

"That's stupid. See, this whole idea of yours was stupid. What did you gain? Nothing. What did you lose? Fifteen hundred dollars. You should run all your petty little aspirations by me first so I can tell you whether it's worth it or not." Tyson nodded. Kai stared and shook his head incredulously.

"You are unbelievable. You come here almost in tears begging me not to go, and now I suddenly have to go through you before embarking on my petty little aspirations? I think not, Tyson." Kai paused for a moment, fingering the handle of his briefcase thoughtfully.

"What? Let's go already," Tyson urged, tugging at the sleeve of Kai's jacket. They began to walk through the busy terminal, and Kai finally spoke again.

"This whole thing wasn't a complete waste, you know," he mused aloud. Tyson inched closer to him.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." A gentle smile spread on Kai's lips as Tyson sidled up to him and slipped his arm through Kai's. Kai didn't seem to mind at all; instead he switched his briefcase to his other hand to give Tyson easier access. "I did gain something in the end."

The End