Title:
Beside MeSummary: Kai gets some news on his
parents. Alongside with Tala and Tyson he sets out for an adventure,
which gets more and more confusing. A Kai-Tala-Tyson friendship
story
Setting: A few yearsafter G-Rev, the boys are
young men now between the age of 18 and 20
Rating/Warnings: not
sure, perhaps T for some violence, angst and innuendos to child
abuse.
Spoilers: Small ones to the end of G-Rev and my
other story Visiting Day, but it is unnecessary to read it. I'll
explain everything you need to know.
Disclaimer: I really
am infringing on someone else copyright, but I mean it in the best
possible way.
CyborgRockStar: I really don't know how to thank. Your reviews are always appreaciated, more than encouraging and even manage to make me smile days later.
party
freak: I'm glad you came across this story, even if it isn't
your usual style. I hope you'll keep enjoying it. Thank you very
much for your review. 3. Chapter Two
"You could have told me we were flying to Russia, you know. It would have given me at least the chance to pack some warmer clothes." Tyson grumbled for the fifths time now, while stumbling behind Kai along the empty road.
Kai was more concerned by their directions, so
he didn't take the time to answer. He really hoped that the
information he had gotten from that bus driver were correct, or else
Tyson would honestly have a reason to complain.
The street they
followed the last two hours resembled more a country lane. There were
nothing around them but fields and meadows, the two lone figures
couldn't make out a house anywhere along the horizon around
them.
"Could you at least tell me what we are doing here? You said you knew someone who might be of help, but you still haven't said who that might be, or why you couldn't just call him." Tyson was getting frustrated. He was cold, tired and was being ignored for the last hours, a combination that didn't fit well with him, and he was going to let it show.
The crisp tone caught Kai's attention. He decided, that he couldn't do anything about their location right now anyway, and it was probably for the best to prepare Tyson for what was to come."
"I couldn't call, because it would be easier for him to refuse that way. I also wouldn't have been able to explain on the phone. And for whom we're gonna meet..." Kai paused here and observed Tyson expectantly before concluding. "...easy; Tala."
Tyson
stopped immediately when this information registered. His facial
expressions betrayed his emotions and Kai found it extremely
interesting to watch his friend shift through his emotions. At first
there was shock, then anger dwelt up as Tyson was obviously
remembering the big fight confrontation between the Russian blader
and him, in the end it moved to complete refusal.
Kai groaned. He
knew what would come now, Tyson would start bickering about not
coming along further. The half-Russian man knew that he hadn't the
nerve to cope with that right now.
"Tyson listen to me. I don't know what happened back then between you two, and I won't act as if that would interest me in any way. There is only one thing that is important for me right now, and that is to find my parents. So either you get a hold on yourself now, or you better go back." Kai hoped he hadn't sound too harsh, but he had to make sure, that Tyson understood how important this was. Rationally he needed Tala more than Tyson right now, and if one of them made him decide then he knew how he would , no matter what turmoil took place inside of him.
Tyson hadn't moved from his place in the middle of the
road. While listening to his friends words, his eyes had turned
hard.
"So you don't want me to come with you anymore?"
'I
never asked you to come along in the first place.' Kai had to bite
back the mean comment, which first sprang to his mind. A few years
back he would have probably retorted in such a way, but he had
learned and schooled his character some.
"If you come with me or
not depends on you. I'm only saying that I need Tala, and that I
know, that you two have problems with each other. So, are you coming
now?"
Tyson hesitated. The aim of their journey to Russia
had come totally unexpected to him. He hadn't thought about Tala in
the last year and would have been happy to never hear about him
again. The thought of having to meet the other man was nearly
unbearable. There had been just one fight to many between them. But
then there was Kai. And he really wanted to accompany and aid his
friend on his search. He sighed and decided that he needed more
information.
"Just tell me Kai, why do we need Tala?"
"Can I tell you while we walk?"
Tyson nodded unwillingly but started moving again. Kai felt his friends eyes boring into him, urging him to finally start explaining.
"Okay it's quiet simple. I don't remember much from the days in the abbey and nothing from before it, so I need someone else who would."
"You think Tala knows your parents?" Tyson asked disbelievingly.
Kai shook his head. "Not likely, but we were good friends back then, and I remember him telling me about his family. So it wouldn't surprise me if I've told him about mine. He could know, if they are alive, or where they used to live. He's the only person I can think of, who could give me such information. You see now why it is important for me to talk to him."
"Yeah." Tyson didn't sound happy at all, but he kept on walking. Kai gladly accepted the silence and fell into step beside him.
xxxxxx
They stood in front of the main house. It was an old farm house, and it being old was more obvious than it being a farm. They might not even have recognized it as such were it not for the chickens running over the dusty yard and picking in the dirt for something eatable, and for the animally noises coming from one of the two adjacent barns. The other one seemed to be unoccupied, which was a good thing, because it looked like it would collapse every moment.
"Are you sure that this is the right house?"
"Yes." Kai answered with more sincerity than he felt. He traced his fingers softly over the house wall and observed the plaster crumble to the ground under the gentle touch critically.
"What do you want?" A strong voice demanded.
At first the two friends had difficulty finding its source. When they did they found the person belonging to the call not really fulfilling their expectations. In the open window to their right stood a boy around seven years, his face hard and serious. Behind him hid a girl a bit taller and perhaps even one or two years older than the boy. You could tell that the children were siblings by their resemblance, both had the same thick, blond hair and dark brown eyes, and both their noses were slanting a bit to the right.
"We want to see Tala."
"Why?" Came the prompt retort.
Kai narrowed his eyes. He had changed in many ways, but children were still a plague to him.
"We are friends, so get him already!"
The girl made herself smaller so that she now was nearly completely hidden behind her brother. Then both turned around simultaneous as if they had heard something in the room. Tyson and Kai still waiting heard the tired voice of a woman asking something. The boy answered her suddenly very polite. "Two men, they want to see Tala." Again the woman was heard in the background, and the boy turned around again, not looking very happy. "Our aunt will open the door." He said curtly and disappeared inside. The girl looked at them for a second longer before she too stepped further back into the room.
Tyson smiled at Kai. The dual haired man groaned, of course the other teen would think different about the kids, but on the other perhaps he could keep them away from him. He smiled back.
Both had stepped to the door and looked curiously as it opened. In the door frame there stood a small woman, looking just as curious at them. Her body seemed to have lived through the hardship of life, and with her almost starved features and the shaking of her limps, she looked ill, liked she belonged in bed. But still, her eyes were full of life, gentleness and even a youthful naivety.
Kai somehow felt drawn to her, like she felt familiar. He often had had this feeling in past years, and had learned to read it. This feeling always plagued him, when memories he couldn't get to himself came back unexpected triggered by some smell, feeling or person. So was it possible that he knew this woman?
"You are friends of Tala?" She asked, her voice resembled the one of a child not sure if it was allowed to open the door to the strangers outside or not.
"Yes we are. I once was a team-mate of his. My name is Kai and that is Tyson. If you ask him, he'll confirm that." Kai endeavored to ease her worries.
Instead of moving aside to allow the two guests to come inside, she stepped forward until she stood directly in front of the half-Russian man. Kai felt suddenly nervous under her extremely penetrating gaze, and when she reached out to touch his shoulder he actually flinched away.
"What...?"
The petite woman took her hand back down. "I'm sorry, I just never thought, I'd see you again." The boy in front of her looked even more puzzled. "Oh perhaps you don't remember. I met you years back when you and my boy lived in that abbey. I'm Tala's mother. It's okay, you wouldn't recognize me, I wouldn't have you, but that hair..." She trailed of, suddenly breathless. She coughed a few times, still the air didn't seem to reach her lungs.
"Mrs. Valkov, are you alright?" Tyson broke into the conversation. She started to shake even more in response. Panic stricken Tyson reached for her elbow, trying to steady her on her feet.
"Inside." She gasped out between coughing fits. Tyson started to lead her trough the door, when he realized that Kai wasn't following them.
"Kai!" He shouted over his shoulder. The other man, who had remained standing completely still during the whole exchange, now broke out from his trance-like state and began to trail them into the house. That satisfied Tyson enough to continue dragging the small form inside.
Kai was swaying on his feet himself. Memories came to the surface, pounding from the inside against his forehead, paining him dearly. He staggered through the door, trying to concentrate on the task at hand. Tyson had lowered the woman, who had just introduced herself as Tala's mother, onto a wooden chair next to a big table.
Kai looked through another door frame on his left. There was the kitchen. He walked inside and after he had searched through some cabinets, he emerged the room again with a glass of watered, that he lowered gently into the womans hand.
"Drink this slowly."
Mrs. Valkov brought the glass shakily to her mouth. After a few more minutes the coughing subdued and her breathing eased visibly.
"Thanks boys, I'm fine now." Her gaze rested on her nephew and niece, who had watched the whole procedure more than a little scared from the corner of the room. "I really am fine. Why don't you two go and tell Tala that his friends are here?"
After receiving a reassuring smile from their aunt the kids finally left through the front door. Kai looked after them, wondering where exactly Tala was since they hadn't seen him anywhere out there.
Tyson was meanwhile still preoccupied with their ill host.
"Shouldn't you perhaps go to bed and lie down for a while, madam?" He asked politely and with true concern in his voice. She reacted as people usually did when he over flooded them with his openness and gentleness, so he got a very affectionate smile and a whispered extra thank-you.
"I've been lying in bed all morning and most of last month. You'll understand that, I'm better now and I think I can stand up for a bit longer."
Tyson nodded and settled back onto another chair. "Just tell me, if you want something."
Kai had turned his attention elsewhere. Standing in the front door he observed the siblings carefully opening the old barn's door. It looked like they were playing one of these games, where you had to pull out one block from a tower without it collapsing, only here in reality the door took the role of the block and inside the tower was the person, he flown hours to visit.
Kai held his breath, willing his friend and the children to come away from there as soon as possible. The kids stood in the doorway, giving the massage their aunt had sent them with over to the young man inside. Then finally they ran away, and found themselves a game buy chasing the chickens all across the yard.
Kai waited further, he hadn't taken his eyes from the barn's entry. Why wasn't Tala coming out. But there finally appeared the other man's silhouette in the doorway. Though no light fell onto the Russian, Kai could make out traces of red hair. He smiled, seeing this one person felt more familiar than brushing his teeth, even though he hadn't seen him in years.
Tala walked forward, perhaps to get a better look onto his guest. He didn't return the smile, moreover he didn't seem happy at all with the man he recognized in front of his home. Cold eyes were his welcome for his childhood friend. And suddenly Kai felt like there was more than just the yard separating them.
Tbc...
A/n: I'm on a classtrip for the next week, so I'm not sure when you can expect the next update, but I'll try to make it shortly afterwards. Until next time!
